The Dragon and the Wolf
by Suleyk
Summary: A young woman by the name of Aila finds herself at the headsman's block when a dragon appears, destroying everything in sight. Barely escaping with her life, Aila makes it to Riverwood where she meets an Imperial woman who treats her injuries. With feelings of attachment to her saviour, Aila follows the Imperial when she decides to run from home.
1. Prolouge

Prologue

He sat quietly, sharpening his massive blade. The snow was intense all around him, as it so often was on the summit of the Throat of the World, yet the cold did not bother him. Nor did it bother the woman, as she came and sat beside him. The man looked at her and smiled sweetly. She smiled back, and opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it quickly when she heard a noise.

It was a very faint noise, no more than a small hum, but it was the source of the hum that was disconcerting. It was coming from the Time-Wound.

The air thudded with the approach of the bronze dragon, and it rested itself at the peak of the mountain. The man spoke in an ancient tongue. "Old one," he said. "Has the time come at last?"

"It would seem it has," the dragon responded.

"The time for what?" the woman asked. "You cannot mean..."

"I do," the man interrupted, not unkindly.

The hum began to grow louder.

The man stood as a featureless mask began to materialize over his face. He lifted his greatsword, larger than most of its ilk, out in front of him with a single hand, as easily as he would a dagger. "Stay out of this fight, _lokaali_," he said.

"But I can help you!" the woman said.

"No! In the millennia of our time together, you have never faced a threat this great. I will not risk losing you."

Another dragon approached, this one much larger than the first, and landed near the man and the woman, bowing its head. "_Thuri_," it said.

The man nodded in response. "Dinokausag."

The hum grew incessantly louder, gradually drowning out all other sound. The woman looking at the man, and saw him shaking, slight as it was. "You're frightened," she said incredulously. As long as they've been together she had never seen him scared. He would walk into an oblivion gate, laughing for the challenge. She had seen his strength, experienced it first hand, and it had led her to believe he was invincible. And now here he was, frightened of the battle about to take place.

"Yes," he admitted. "But I am also excited."

The woman chuckled softly. "Of course. I would expect no less of you." But silently, she could not help but wonder what sort of power this new threat held.

As suddenly as it came, the humming stopped. For a few tense moments, the woman thought they were mistaken, and nothing would happen. And then an explosion rocked the mountain.

The woman nearly fell to the ground as she was bombarded with snow. A dragon's roar reached her ears and she reasserted herself, and gasped when she saw what had appeared.

The dragon was large. Larger than any dragon she had ever seen before. Its scales were blacker than the night sky and its body was riddled with spikes. It looked around for a moment, as if confused. Then it focused on the bronze dragon. "Paarthurnax." Its voice was deep and rumbling. "Are you here to challenge me?"

"That right belongs to another," the dragon answered.

The black dragon turn to the man standing next to it, his sword raised. "Ah, the traitor Suleyk. I was curious when you would show you face again. Has my mask served you well?"

"_Ruth strun bah_!" the man growled. "This mask has tethered my power for long enough. I will be released. _MUL QAH DIIV!_" The man began to glow with his dragon aspect.

The black dragon threw its head back in laughter. "You wish to challenge me then? So be it! _TIID KLO UL!_"

The woman blinked, and the man was kneeling on the ground and the dragon was in the air. She started to run to his aid, but he lifted his hand. "Stay back!" He stood and took a breath. "_JOOR ZAH FRUL!_" The blue light erupted from the man's mouth and hit the dragon square in the chest.

The dragon lost it balance and came crashing back down. It tried again to fly, but could not lift itself into the air. It bellowed in rage. "_Duraal joorre_!"

The man laughed. "You think those mortals are strong enough to create their own Shout? No, I created this Shout! Just as my brother sought to become more like the _dov_, I worked to tear them down!"

The man's laughter only served to enrage the dragon further. "_YOL TOOR SHUL!"_

The man threw up a ward in front of him that took all the strength his mask would allow to resist the onslaught of flames. He ran forward with it, lifting his sword. When he neared the dragon, he swung the sword down as hard as he could onto the dragon's snout.

The flames died away as the dragon's head was knocked sideways. The man lowered his ward, panting. Already he was tired. The black dragon's strength was just as he remembered it.

It reared its head, looking at the man. "_GAAN LAH HAAS!"  
_His eyes widened and he tired to conjure another ward, but he was too slow. The Shout shattered through his ward, and the man stumbled backwards. Struggling not collapse, the man swung his sword again, hitting the dragon once more.

The dragon growled. "_ZUN HAAL VIIK!"_

The man cried out as the greatsword was torn from his hands. The dragon swung its massive head and hit the man and sent him flying. A large boulder jutting from the mountaintop was the only thing that stopped him from going over the edge. He tried to stand, finding the effort more difficult than it should have been, while the black dragon laughed darkly.

"You could not defeat me then, you cannot defeat me now. What say you now, _sahlo_?"

The man looked at the dragon in contempt. "_FO..."_

_ "IZZ SLEN NUS!"_

The dragon's Shout interrupted his and ice began to coat his body. It spread from his legs to his torso, to his arms, leaving only his head. He was immobile. The dragon moved forward, until he was mere inched away from the man's head.

"You will not rule," the man said. "These _joor _are not the cowards they once were. They will not stand oppression. They will fight back."

The dragon was silent for many moment. Finally he said, "Perhaps you are right."

"What?" That was not the expected answer.

"I have forsaken my role as World-Eater for long enough!" The dragon lifted its great wings into the air and beat down hard. It rose into the sky and shouted. "_ZU'U ALDUIN! DII BAH LOS UZNAHGAAR! THIS WORLD SHALL BURN!_"

As the roars grew fainter, the woman, who had been watching silently from afar, rushed forward and helped the man free himself from the ice. Then she hugged him tightly. "In all my life I never thought I would see you bested."

"It just goes to show the power he holds," the man said as the mask over his face began to fade away. "We must stop him."

The bronze dragon broke his silence. "And how do you hope to do that? If you cannot defeat him, perhaps fate has declared our world to be destroyed."

The man only smiled. "You should know by now I do not believe in fate. You know the prophecy. The first shall fight the last. Come, _lokaali_. Let's go find a Dragonborn!"


	2. 1: Attack on Helgen

Attack on Helgen

A deafening roar spread across the sky, and Aila forced her eyes open. She could see the headsman, his axe raised above his head, ready to sever hers. It was the dragon behind him, though, that brought tears to Aila's eyes. It was sitting atop the watchtower, its scales as black as night and menacing. Numerous spikes were protruding from all over its body and had two jagged horns on its head. Its wings were resting on the front of the tower, while it's two legs were gripping the back to support itself. It opened its mouth, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and let out another ear-splitting roar.

Aila didn't know how but at the same time the dragon roared, everything within its vicinity was thrown backwards, including Aila and the headsman. She rolled to the ground and tried to stand, but she could not. Her hands were bound, so she could not use them to support herself. The pain from the dragon's roar only made the effort that much more difficult. She made it to a kneeling position before she fell back on her arse.

Aila grabbed her knees and hugged herself, too afraid to move. She felt warm tears roll down her cheeks and she tried wipe them away, but they kept coming. She flinched as something touched her arm, and for a brief second she thought the dragon had grabbed her, but it was only a man.

"Come on! The gods won't give us another chance!" He said. _He's a prisoner,_ Aila thought. _Just like me. _Aila looked at the watchtower. The dragon was gone, but the watchtower was on fire. Even the stone. Aila yelped as a large boulder crashed down not five feet from her. She tried to find where it had come from and nearly fell over when she saw the sky.

It looked as if the sky had been ripped open and had left a black void. Enormous boulders were falling from the hole in the sky crashing into buildings and destroying everything in their path. Aila could hear the screams of people as they died. She saw the dragon, flying high above, avoiding any arrows fired from Helgen's guardsmen and Imperial solders. Not that it needed to. None of the projectiles could penetrate its thick scales.

The man tugged at her arm, pulling her to her feet. "We need to keep moving!" He said. "If we stay here we die!" He ran ahead pulling Aila after him into another tower. When they were inside the prisoner raised a knife, most likely taken from a corpse, and headed toward Aila. She backed away in response, frightened of what he was going to do. "Relax," he said. "I'm just going to cut your bindings." Aila hesitantly let him near her and just as he said, the prisoner hacked away at the bindings on her hands. "Now let's go. It isn't safe here." He led Aila up the tower's staircase. They were nearly to the top when the tower wall suddenly collapsed and Aila screamed. The dragon was clinging to the side of the tower and had smashed in the wall leaving a gaping hole with an excellent view of the dragon's head. It opened its mouth and the prisoner pulled her behind a large stone that fell from the wall of the tower.

"_YOL_"

Fire erupted from the dragon's mouth, and Aila could feel the heat of the flames that threatened to engulf her. Her protective rock wasn't enough though, and she cried out in pain as her arm burned. The searing flames stopped, and Aila heard the loud _thud_ of the dragon great wings beating the air as it flew away. Aila refused to move from behind the rock, so the prisoner had to force her to the hole the dragon had left.

"Look over there," he said. "That's Helgen's Keep. That's where we are headed." Aila tried to look, but she was too afraid. She didn't like heights. "You're going to have to open your eyes. The only way down is through the roof of that inn." Aila reluctantly opened her eyes and saw that directly below the tower was an inn. Most of its roof was missing, and it was on fire. If they jumped down they would land in the second floor of the inn, and if they moved fast they could climb down the stairs and leave the building. A short distance away from the inn was the keep the prisoner had mentioned. If the exited the inn they could run straight to the keep. "We'll be safe there." the prisoner said. "The keep is the strongest building in Helgen. Ready?" Aila blinked. Ready for what? They weren't actually going to jump down, were they? He didn't give her any time to think about it. He was already in the inn. "Come on!" He shouted at her. Aila looked down at him. He coughed.

"I... I can't!" Aila shouted back.

"It's not that far! Just remember to bend your knees when you touch the ground!" He coughed again. "I'm going! Either follow me or stay there!"

"No..." Aila was trembling. What if she got hurt? What if she broke her legs and couldn't move? Aila grabbed her burned arm. It would make the landing more difficult. The prisoner was heading toward the stairs. Aila hated heights, but she hated being alone more. She forced herself to move and jumped down to the inn. She stumbled when she hit the floor, and was sent sprawling to the ground. The prisoner helped her up.

"Good," he said. "I'm glad you followed." Aila only nodded and started toward the stairs clutching her arm. It was hot. There was fire everywhere, and the smoke made it hard to breath. They climbed down and stopped at the entrance. The prisoner looked out cautiously. "I don't see the dragon. On the count of three we're going to make a run for it." Aila nodded. "Okay, One... Two.. Three!" And Aila ran. There was death all around her. Burnt and bloody corpses. It made her sick, but she kept on running.

Aila's heart sank when she hear a roar. She turned her head to see the dragon chasing after them. Aila never ran so fast in her life. As soon as she entered the keep she fell to the ground crying and waited for the prisoner. And waited. He never came. Aila wanted to check, but she was too scared to go and look. Instead, she sat in the corner of the room and cried.

Aila couldn't tell how long she sat there. At some point the roars and the screaming stopped. Soon after all became quiet. Even so, Aila didn't move. It must have been hours before she did. She struggled to her feet and carried herself to the door and slowly pulled it open. It was dark out, and she couldn't see very well. She could smell though, and it smelled of death. Aila had nowhere to go, so she walked out into the darkness. She could see the silhouettes of corpses as she walked, and she tried her best not to throw up. She walked past the dead bodies, broken buildings, and the gates of Helgen. She walked along the road not knowing where it led. For the most part she was safe, but she was alone. Aila hated being alone. She had been most of her life.

Aila walked and walked until she couldn't walk any longer, and she collapsed onto the ground. Gods, she was tired. She felt her eyelids grow heavy. Aila thought she heard footsteps, but she was too tired to care. The last thing Aila could remember before fainting was someone picking her up and carrying her.


	3. 2: Riverwood

Riverwood

Aila awoke screaming. Her dreams were filled with dragons and fire. She brought a hand to her face. It came back wet. She was crying. Of course she was crying, she had been crying when the Imperials captured her, she had been crying when the dragon attacked, and she had been crying while she was walking. Yes, she could remember walking. She had been for so long. She had walked and walked and then... and then she was here. In a room lying on a bed. It was a rather small room; there was a bed and wardrobe, but not much else. Aila grabbed her burned arm and saw that it had been patched up. Suddenly, the door swung open, and an Imperial woman came running in.

"Are you alright?" The Imperial asked her. "I heard you scream, did something happen?" Aila shook her head and said it was only a dream. The Imperial woman was visibly relieved. "Oh, thank the gods. I'm glad you're awake though, I was wanting to talk to you."

"Where... where am I?" Aila asked.

"Oh right, you're in The Sleeping Giant Inn. I brought you here after I found you on the road. Delphine wrapped up your arm. She owns the inn. I would have brought you to my house, but... well, my parents aren't exactly fond of elves."

"I... I'm not an elf." Aila said.

"Really? You look like one. Oh well. You must be hungry, you've been asleep almost all day." Aila _was_ hungry. "Lets get you some food and don't worry about paying. It's on me." Aila got out of bed and walked out of the room into another. This one was much larger. There was a fire in the middle with seats around it and tables along the walls. Some patrons were scattered across the room and there was a bard singing _Ragnar The Red_. "You sit there; I'll get you some food. Oh, my name's Kathryn by the way."

"Aila,"

Kathryn smiled at her. "Pretty name. Nice to meet you Aila." she said. Aila felt a blush creeping up her cheeks as she took her seat by the fire. Soon after Kathryn came back with a plate of venison and potatoes. She handed them to Aila and sat down in the seat next to her. Aila realized she was hungrier than she thought, and she heard Kathryn laugh as Aila inhaled her food. "Slow down! You're going to choke." She said, and Aila tried to eat at a somewhat normal pace. She was half way through her meal when Kathryn said "So, you say you're not an elf?"

"No. Well... I don't think so. Maybe my mother was. Or my father." Aila shook her head. "I don't know." Kathryn seemed to understand what she was saying.

"You mean you're an orphan." she said. Aila nodded. "That's alright. You just finish your meal." Aila suddenly noticed that most of the room had their heads turned towards her.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" Aila asked, uncomfortable.

"They're not." Kathryn said sullenly. "They're looking at me."

Aila looked at the Imperial. She seemed to be about the same age as Aila, though she was taller. Most people were, though.

"Why would they be staring at you?" Kathryn glanced at Aila and then looked down at the floor. She didn't give an answer. When Aila finished her meal, Kathryn suggested that they go outside. She seemed eager to get away from the view of others. Aila took a breath of fresh air when she exited the building.

"Welcome to Riverwood!" Kathryn said. "It's not much, there's the shop... the blacksmith. My house is down there by the gate. Oh, and there's the mill over by the river. I work there along with Faendal. It's owned by Gerdur and her husband Hod. Alvor owns the forge. He's nice enough, but his wife can be a bit..."

Aila watched as Kathryn described in detail everyone in Riverwood, where they lived, and what they were like. Aila couldn't help but feel amused. This girl sure liked to talk. She didn't mind, though. Aila found her voice... melodious.

A gust of wind blew through the air, and Aila brushed away a strand of hair from her face. She looked at Kathryn. The wind was blowing through her hair as well, but hers was much shorter, so it didn't seem to bother her. Her hair was brown like Aila's but whereas hers was light, Kathryn's was dark.

"Is there something on my face?" Kathryn asked. Aila suddenly realized she had been staring. She felt herself blushing again. When Kathryn saw she only laughed and said, "Don't worry about it. It's hard to keep your eyes off me, I know." She said mockingly. Her comment only made Aila blush harder, resulting in another laugh from Kathryn.

"You know," Kathryn said once she stopped laughing, "One of your parents was definitely an elf, but I'd say the other was a Nord."

"What makes you say that?" asked Aila.

"Your eyes."

"My eyes?"

"Yes, your eyes. They're an incredible shade of blue. Only Nords have eyes like yours."

Kathryn wasn't the first to say as much. Nords were the only of all nine races with distinct eyes. Other races had blue eyes, yes, but not like a Nords. Most people didn't see her as a Nord at first, though. Much like Kathryn, people first thought her to be an elf. Her ears were slightly pointed, too much to be a humans, yet not enough to be an elf's. Her face had the same quality, angular, but only just. Kathryn's own eyes were a pale color, silver even. Aila had never seen eyes like hers before. She found them fascinating. "Aila? You're staring again."

Aila was turning redder than a tomato. She fumbled with the bandages on her arm. "S... sorry" she said. She was caught staring at Kathryn not once but twice! She wasn't trying to stare. She just... did. And Kathryn certainly wasn't making it any easier.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed." she said with a wicked smile. Aila knew she was only teasing. She was, after all, another girl, but even so, it left an odd feeling in her stomach.

Aila followed Kathryn to the edge of the village, which wasn't far. When they stopped Kathryn pointed. "I found you just down the road there," she said. " You were walking along, and then you just fell over. When I got to you, you were nearly unconscious. I picked you up and carried you to the inn." Aila remembered what she had said when she woke up.

"Why wouldn't your parents want me at your house?" she asked.

"My father fought in the great war. You know, the one against the elves. I think he grew some sort of hatred for them over time. And my mother just agrees with whatever my father says." Kathryn was starting to look angry, and Aila felt she had stumbled upon a sensitive subject. But then Kathryn shook her head and her smile returned. "But never mind that. What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. I mean, now that you awake, you'll probably want to... be on your way or something like that."

"Oh." Aila said. She hadn't thought about that. Aila had no family to care for her. She didn't know what she was going to do. The thought scared her.

Kathryn seemed to notice her distress. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No," Aila said. "I just... don't really have anywhere to go."

"You could stay here." Kathryn suggested. "In Riverwood, I mean. Delphine always has a room available. You can sleep there."

"I don't have any gold." Aila pointed out.

"You can work with me at the mill. Gerdur can always use more workers. She pays fair, more than enough to rent out a room." She seemed to almost be begging Aila to stay.

"Well it's not like I'm going anywhere" Aila said. Kathryn smiled at that. She looked absolutely elated.

"Oh I know you'll like it here." she said. "Riverwood's a small village, but there's still plenty to do. Like hunting. The woods are teeming with game. Anything from rabbits to elk. There's fishing too. The river's full of trout, and salmon, and..." Aila smiled as Kathryn started to ramble again. She couldn't help but feel happy at her apparent joy.

"You sure seem glad that I'm staying here." Aila said when Kathryn paused to take a breath.

"It's just nice to have someone to talk to."

Aila gave Kathryn a puzzled look. "Don't you talk to the other villagers?"

Kathryn's smile faded. "The others don't like having me around."

That surprised Aila. "Why not? You're so nice. I can't think of anyone I'd rather hang around." That was only because Aila didn't actually _know_ anyone else, but Kathryn didn't need to know that.

Kathryn smiled sadly. "Thanks. I think people think I'm dangerous or something."

"Why would they think that?"

"My parents, I think. You might have guessed already, but they're not exactly the towns favourite people." She reached up and touched her temple. "But mostly I think it's because of my eyes. I think they frighten people." Aila looked at Kathryn's silver eyes. They were unusual but...

"I think your eyes look lovely." She said without thinking. Kathryn looked at her blankly, then started grinning madly and Aila suddenly realized what she had just said.

"No one has ever complemented my eyes before," Kathryn said. "Thank you." Aila only nodded, too embarrassed to speak. That seemed to amuse Kathryn. "Come on," she said with a laugh. "Let's go see Gerdur about that job. Oh, and Aila?"

"Yes?"

"You're blushing again."


	4. 3: Three Months Later

Three Months Later

Aila swung the axe as hard as she could, but it still only went through a quarter of the wood. "Damn it," she muttered. She had to swing thrice more before the firewood split in two. Working at the mill was harder than she thought. It wasn't much work, just chopping and lugging around a bunch of wood, but it was tiring. Gerdur had hired her just as Kathryn said, though reluctantly.

"She's all skin and bones," She had said when Kathryn made the proposal. "She doesn't look like she could even lift an axe. How am I going to make use of her?" Aila tried to protest, say she could too lift an axe, but the words caught in her throat.

"You know you can," Kathryn argued for her. "She'll get stronger as she works. You can barely run the mill with the workers you have now. You need all the help you can get." Finally Gerdur had yielded. That was three months ago. Since then Aila had proven that she was about as useful as a mudcrab. Normally, Aila was never anything more than a pack mule, carrying wood to and fro, but sometimes Gerdur had her do more important tasks, such as chopping up firewood.

She wasn't doing as badly as before. Her first few days, she couldn't even hit the wood. It was taxing work, and Aila had been sore weeks, but she found it preferable to having Faendal around. He had contracted a terrible case of the rattles, and has been too weak to move, much less work, for the past week and likely wouldn't be back for many more. For Aila it was a blessing.

There had been a silent war between Faendal and the village bard, Sven, over a woman named Camilla Valerius. Apparently, Sven finally decided to take action and took Camilla as a lover. Faendal had been devastated for a grand total of four days before he moved on. Unfortunately for Aila, he had moved on to her. As an elf, Faendal decided that only another elf would be right for him... Aila being the other elf. Nearly every waking moment, Aila had to suffer Faendal's disgusting attempts to seduce her. Her only break was when she went to bed for the night and when she was with Kathryn.

Aila had become fast friends with Kathryn in the short time she's known her. Kathryn loved to talk, and it was obvious that she loved having someone to talk to. Aila was quiet by nature, but Kathryn didn't seem to mind her just listening. Aila was dismayed by how people treated Kathryn. No one ever came directly up to her, or talked to her, and if Kathryn ever talked to them, they never had anything to say and suddenly had very important matters to attend to. More than once Aila caught people looking at Kathryn like she was some kind of freak. Nearly everyone actively avoided Kathryn and Aila couldn't fathom why.

Aila found pretty quickly the reason Kathryn had said that her parents weren't the town's favourite people. Her father was the village drunk. Loud and loathsome, Varin Vela had a habit of loitering at the Sleeping Giant Inn and squander the little gold he had on ale and mead. Kathryn's mother never paid much attention to her daughter, if any. Lassana Vela rarely leaves her house, spending the day doing menial tasks that Varin gives her, be it doing the laundry, preparing food, or even something more carnal for her husband.

The two earned no remuneration, and relied entirely on Kathryn to support them, who didn't have a choice in the matter. Once, when Kathryn refused to give him money, Varin had hit her and took the gold from her. She wore a bruise on her cheek for the next three weeks, and no one had even bothered to ask how she got it, save for Aila.

Aila reached for another piece wood and set it on the chopping block. _Just one, good, strong swing_, she thought. This time it only took three hits to cut in half. Aila dropped the axe and sat next to the chopping block, grunting in displeasure.

"Now don't give up that easily, you almost had it."

Aila looked up to see Kathryn walking toward her. "How long have you been watching me?" she asked.

Kathryn shrugged. "A few minutes or so."

Aila stood, and watched as Kathryn got closer. "Shouldn't you be working?"

"Says the one who was sitting on her arse."

"I was just taking a small break."

"As am I," Kathryn said with a smile.

"I suppose I can't argue with that." Aila smiled back. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you."

Aila groaned. "Kat, it's been three months, the dragon's not going to come swooping down on me." Aila said the words, but she didn't mean them. The truth was that was a near constant fear of hers. There were many nights when Aila woke from a dream, breathing heavily and feeling panicked.

"I wasn't worried about a dragon, you know, I just wanted to see you," Kathryn said.

"Oh. Well that's fine. I'm always glad to see you." Kathryn looked away from her for a moment, looked back, then looked away again. She fiddled with her sleeve. That was odd. Aila had never seen Kathryn nervous before. She usually looked as if she wanted to frolic everywhere she went. "Kathryn?" Aila asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, no, it's just... actually there is another reason I wanted to see you."

"What's that?"

"Well... It's sort of hard to explain. I... well..."

"Kathryn! Aila! I don't pay you to sit around!"

"Yes Gerdur! Sorry! Look, can you just meet me after you're done here? I have something I want to show you."

"Of course," said Aila. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. I just really need to tell you something." And with that Kathryn left to resume her work.

For the rest of the day, Aila wondered what Kathryn wanted to tell her. It helped take her mind of the soreness in her arms. When Gerdur finally let her go, it was almost dark out. Aila elected to get a bite to eat before she met up with Kathryn. She filled herself with potato and leek soup with a slice of cheese at the inn. As she was leaving, Aila bought a couple more slices of cheese for Kathryn, in case she hasn't eaten, but she was still a little hungry and she started nibbling on one of them while she walked to Kathryn's house. Aila almost knocked on the front door, but she stopped. She could hear moaning. Aila made a face and backed away. Kathryn wasn't in there. She was about to look elsewhere for Kathryn when she heard her voice.

"Oh yeah, I probably should've warned you."

Aila looked up. "How did you get up there?"

"I climbed" Kathryn said. She sitting on the roof.

Aila sighed. Kathryn was always doing stuff like this. "Well come on down, I brought you some food." She held out the cheese.

"Ooh, yay!" Kathryn loved cheese. She jumped down and grabbed the slice that wasn't partially eaten. Aila smiled as Kathryn gobbled it down.

"If you ate it slower it would last longer." Aila said.

"But it's so good." Kathryn looked at the other slice longingly.

"Here," Aila said "they were both originally yours anyway."

"Thank you!" Kathryn said as she snatched the slice from Aila's hands. She ignored Aila's advice and gobbled down that one as well.

"You're hopeless."

Aila could hear the sounds coming through the door. The moans were getting louder. Kathryn looked at the door in abhorrence, before saying, "Let's go." She walked toward the gate with Aila following close behind. It was dusk now. A little while and it will be dark.

"So," Aila asked. "what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Let's wait till we're someplace private," Kathryn said. She was acting very strange. She kept pulling at her sleeve. It wasn't just idle movement though, she was wearing a short-sleeved tunic, (which Aila thought was absurd it the cold weather) and it looked like she was trying to hide something.

"Kat," Aila said when they passed the gate. "what's on your arm?"

Kathryn flinched slightly, but only said, "Nothing." Aila didn't believe her.

"Come on, tell me," she persisted.

"It's nothing. Really."

Aila stopped walking. "I'm not moving unless you show me your arm." she said and folded her arms. Kathryn stopped and looked at her. Finally she let out a sigh and rolled up her sleeve. "Oh Gods," Aila gasped. "What happened?"

Kathryn's upper arm was almost completely covered by a massive bruise. It was blue and brown, and looked painful. "My father hit me." she said.

"When? And Why?" Aila asked, touching the bruise gingerly.

"This morning. Before I left for work. You know my father hates elves. He... he called you a whore and... other things. I punched him. He punched me back." Aila was taken aback. Kathryn wasn't the type to respond that way, but... it was odd having Kathryn defend her.

"Oh Kat, you should just ignore him. Nothing good comes out of fighting him."

"I know, but when he called you those thing... I just got so angry." Aila hugged her. Kathryn jumped in surprise, but soon relaxed and hugged Aila back.

"Kathryn you're my only friend," Aila said "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm sorry," Kathryn said.

"Don't be. I'm grateful that you defended me, but next time just ignore him, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." Aila released Kathryn. "Now, don't you have something to show me?"

Kathryn nodded. "It's over by the Guardian Stones," she said, all of her earlier melancholy gone.

Aila had only been to the Guardian Stones once before. Kathryn had told her that standing stone were meant to give special powers to those who were worthy to wield it. The Guardian Stones were three of these special stones. The Mage, the Warrior, and the Thief. Aila had gone up to each one in turn, but nothing had happened with any of them. Kathryn told her not to be disappointed, it was only a legend.

She was here now though, and the sun had gone down making nearly impossible to see. Kathryn somehow had made it over to the Mage Stone without falling. "We should've brought a torch," Aila said.

"Yes, we should have." Kathryn walked around to the back of the stone and started digging.

"What is it exactly that you're looking for?" Aila asked

"You'll see."

Aila waited in dark. She shivered. It was starting to get cold. Well, colder than usual at least. Aila found herself thinking of a few moments ago when she hugged Kathryn. She was warm. "Ah! Here it is," Kathryn exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" Aila asked

"This." Kathryn dropped a large jar into her hands and Aila nearly dropped it, it was so heavy.

"What's in here?"

"Aila, stop asking questions and just open it."

"Fine, fine." Aila unscrewed the lid and reach inside. She didn't have to reach very far, it was almost full. She picked up a small, metallic disk. "Is this what I think it is?" Aila asked.

"Yep," Kathryn said excitedly. Her silver eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

"How much is in here?"

"No idea. I've been saving up for a year."

"What in Oblivion are you going to do with an entire jar of gold coins?"

"Well, that's the other thing I wanted to tell you. Watch." Kathryn held out her hand.

"Kathryn, I can barely see you."

"Just watch." It was hard to tell, but it looked like Kathryn was straining. With what, Aila had yet to find out. Then Aila saw a glow. It was faint at first, but it became steadily brighter. The glow was blue and Aila could see the snowflakes around Kathryn's hand.

_Wait, _Aila thought. She looked up at the sky. Clear at day. _It's not snowing. _The snowflakes swirling around Kathryn's hand began to pick up speed. They grew in size, and in number. Soon, a blizzard was in the palm of Kathryn's hand. Literally. Aila wanted to touch it, and she would have, if she had not been holding the jar of septims. Finally Kathryn closed her hand and the blizzard disappeared. She was breathing heavily.

"You're a mage!" Aila exclaimed.

"Not really. I can't do much more than that."

"Still, that's amazing!"

Kathryn smiled. "I'm glad you think so. Most Nords distrust mages. That's why I didn't tell earlier."

"I'm not a Nord," Aila said.

"I know, but most of the people in Riverwood are, and I didn't want anyone to overhear, and give them even more cause to hate me."

"Kat, they don't..." Aila started.

"I know, I know, but it doesn't matter." Kathryn said, cutting her off. "You asked me what I was going to do with all that gold, well I want to go to the College of Winterhold and learn magic. But also... I want you to come with me."

Aila was speechless. Kathryn wanted her to tag along while she learned magic. "H...how are we going to get there?" she asked.

"Well, I was thinking we can walk to Whiterun," Kathryn replied. "It'd only be about three days walk, and from there we can take a carriage. You... you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"What? No, Kathryn, I'd love to come!"

"Really? Oh, Aila thank you so much! Who knows, maybe you can even learn some..." Kathryn suddenly went quiet.

"Kat? What is it?" Aila asked.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" But by then Aila heard it. Or rather didn't hear.

It completely silent. There were no crickets chirping, no foxes trotting, no rabbits hopping. The only noise was the wind blowing in the trees. And then she felt it. The ground was shaking. Not much, but it was enough.

"What is that?" Aila asked, and she could feel tears starting to form in her eyes. The shaking was growing progressively worse.

"I don't know" Kathryn answered.

"I'm scared, Kat."

"Just stay close to me, you'll be fine." Kathryn held Aila still and tried to comfort her and then Aila heard a word. One dreaded word, thundering in her ears.

"_DOVAHKIIN"_


	5. 4: Running Away

Running Away

Aila and Kathryn ran back to the village hand in hand. The rumbling had stopped as quickly as it came, but the word still rang in Aila's ears. _Dovakiin_. They had buried the jar of coins back where it was and headed back.

The villagers had come outside at the noise; they were all grouped together talking amongst themselves. One of them saw Kathryn and Aila approaching and pointed. "There she is!" he shouted. They all turned to look at them. No, not them. Just Kathryn. Kathryn let go of her hand when they got closer. "Kathryn!" another villager said. "What did you do?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You know what! That quaking!"

"You think I know?" Kathryn was starting to sound angry.

"We know you know! You're always up to something."

It was dark, but Aila saw Kathryn's hand ball up into fists. "What?!"

Aila was standing next to Kathryn. She had never seem her so angry before. "K-Kat," Aila said. She ignored her.

"What did I do?!" Kathryn yelled. "What makes you think I had something to do with this?!"

"You're always skulking about, doing Gods know what." someone said.

"Are you mad? The only reason I skulk is because none of you ever let me near you!"

The villager started backing away. They looked scared. "Kat..." Aila said again.

"What?" Kathryn said sharply. When she turned her head, Aila saw why the villagers were backing away, and she took a step back herself.

"K-K-K-Kathryn... your e-e-eyes..." They weren't sliver anymore. They had changed, and were shining a bright yellow. Not just her iris, but her entire eye. The only part that remained the same was her pupil, which stayed black. Kathryn's eyes widened, and she reached up and covered one with her hand. She suddenly looked terrified. She looked at the crowd of villagers, then at Aila, and then ran. She ran back the way they came, down the road back toward the Guardian Stones. The crowd dissipated with murmurs like, "freak" and "monster" That made Aila angry. She wanted to yell at them, but the words wouldn't come. Instead she ran after Kathryn. Before she got to the gate however, someone grabbed her arm. She jerked free and tried to run again but the person grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. It was Gerdur.

"Where are you going?" she asked. Aila didn't answer. She tried to shake herself free, but she couldn't. "You not following Kathryn are you? That girl is no good."

"No she isn't!" Aila screamed. Gerdur was so surprised by Aila's outburst that she let go of her. Aila could've run then, but she was too angry. "She's not a monster or a freak! She's just a nice girl with strange eyes, and you resent her for no reason!" There. She said it. She turned to leave but Gerdur grabbed her arm again.

"You are not going with that..." Aila punched her. It was slow and clumsy, but it was so sudden that even Aila was startled by it. Gerdur held her nose and cursed, and Aila took the chance to run after Kathryn. When she reach the Guardian Stones she called out to Kathryn.

"Go away," was her reply.

"Kathryn, where are you?"

"Just go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Aila said.

There was silence for a moment before Kathryn said "I'm over here."

Aila walked behind the Warrior Stone and found her sitting, looking out into the wilderness. Aila sat beside her. Kathryn's eyes were back to normal, and she looked as if she might have been crying. Aila had never seen Kathryn cry before. It made her fraught with worry. She didn't like seeing Kathryn like this. "Don't listen to them, Kat." Aila said.

"It's true though. I'm just a freak."

_She heard that? _Aila thought. Kathryn was already gone when those insults were said. "No, you're not. Don't say that." Aila shivered in the cold night.

"Yes I am. You saw me." Kathryn said.

"So your eyes are a bit weird, that doesn't mean you're a freak," Aila said. Kathryn didn't answer. Aila was growing more and more concerned. This wasn't Kathryn. Kathryn was the loquacious girl who didn't have a care in the world. Not this glum and desolate girl Aila was seeing now. Aila stood abruptly. "Come on, let's go," she said

Kathryn looked up at her in confusion. "Go where?"

"To Whiterun. You said it's only three days from here. We can go there."

Kathryn blinked at her in surprise. "You still want to go with me? Even after what you saw?"

"Of course I do. You're not happy here, Kathryn. Maybe you will be at Winterhold." Aila held out a hand. Kathryn grabbed it and pulled herself up.

"What about food?" she asked. "And clothes, and bedrolls? We're not prepared."

"I can get all that stuff. It's not a long trip we won't need much, and we can get more at Whiterun. Just meet me at the bridge, okay?"

"Okay," Kathryn said. "and thank you. Thank you so much."

Aila smiled and headed back toward Riverwood. Aila changed into warmer clothes and packed everything she thought she needed into one big sack and headed out. By then, most people had gone to bed, so no one bothered her. She walk to the bridge and found Kathryn waiting for her on the other side. She was holding the jar of coins. She was still in her short sleeve tunic, and Aila couldn't understand how she didn't even seem to feel the cold.

"You got everything?" she asked.

"Yep," Aila replied. "Everything I could think of."

"Then let's go."

The two walked down the road to Whiterun and Kathryn was restless all the while. "I can't believe I'm finally doing this," she was saying. "I wonder what it's like there. What kind of spells do you think I'll learn? I bet they have all sorts of spells."

Aila listened as Kathryn fell into one of her rambling sessions. It was nice to have her back to normal. They didn't walk very far. It was already dark, and Aila soon grew tired. They made camp just off the side of the road. Aila tucked herself in her bedroll and tried to sleep. The ground was hard but the bedroll gave her some much-needed warmth. Aila noticed that Kathryn hadn't even set up her own bedroll yet.

"Kat? Aren't you tired?" she asked.

"No." Kathryn answered.

"You're not still upset are you?"

"No, of course not. I've just never been an easy sleeper."

Aila felt her eyelids getting heavier. "Well... if you need anything... just tell me." she said sleepily.

"I will," Kathryn promised.

Aila fell asleep after that. When she woke, she saw Kathryn leaning against a tree watching the road. Aila sat up and yawned. Kathryn turned her head.

"Oh, you're awake," she said. Aila didn't see Kathryn's bedroll anywhere.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Aila asked.

Kathryn gave her a small smile. "No. Don't worry about it though, I'm fine." Aila's stomach growled. She got out of her bedroll and looked through her sack.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I brought some fruit, dried beef, and... Oh, Look!" Aila took out a cheese wheel and held it up. Kathryn ran towards her excitedly and took it from her hands.

"You're the best, Aila!" she said and broke off a piece and munched on it. Aila smiled and grabbed an apple.

"Just try not to eat cheese the entire trip, I only brought two wheels."

"You should've brought three. I could have one wheel a day."

"If you eat like that you'll get fat." Aila said. Kathryn laughed at that.

They finished their breakfast, packed up their bedrolls and started the day. They alternated who carried the sack every hour or so. For Aila it was incredibly dull. There was nothing to do other than walk, and her legs quickly became tired. Kathryn still seemed full of energy despite not getting any sleep, which bewildered Aila.

"So," Aila said. "How did you learn you can use magic?"

Kathryn seemed to be thinking. "I don't really know. I've been able to for as long as I can remember."

"What's it like?" Aila asked. "When you use magic. How does it feel?"

"Hmm... It's hard to explain. When I use magic I can feel it drain my energy. I think It's called magicka. The more powerful you are, the more magicka you have. When I use magic I can feel the energy flowing through my arm to my hand." Kathryn paused to think. "I don't know how to explain it. You have to do it to really know how it feels."

"Do you think I'll be able to use magic?"

"I don't see why not."

"I hope I can." The prospect of using magic excited Aila. She shivered. "I think the days are getting colder." she said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

"How? It's so cold. Aren't you cold? You must be in the shirt. There are no sleeves."

Kathryn shrugged. "I've been colder."

The rest of the day was exceptionally tedious. As the day dragged on Aila noticed it definitely was getting colder. By mid-afternoon She had put on another shirt to keep her warm. Kathryn continued to give no signs that she was cold. Aila thanked the Gods when night finally came, and they set up camp. Aila ate a small supper of dried beef and lettuce. Kathryn had the same, but added some cheese. Aila lay down her bedroll and crawled in. Kathryn stayed up. The bedroll helped, but she could still feel the cold creeping in. Aila had a harder time falling asleep that night. The second day was much like the first, only colder. Even Kathryn had changed to a long-sleeved shirt. Kathryn admitted to another sleepless night. She didn't even seem tired.

"You have to sleep," Aila had told her. "It's not good for you to stay up every night."

"I'll sleep tonight," Kathryn replied. "I promise."

Around noon it started to snow. It was a light snow, and there was no wind, so the snowflakes gently floated to the ground. Aila thought it was quite pretty. That night was colder than the other two nights combined. Aila was shivering despite having three shirts on and two pairs of pants. Kathryn still didn't seem cold. She was in her bed roll, laying down. She promised Aila she would sleep, and she was trying. She just didn't seem tired though. Aila closed her eyes and tried to sleep herself. It was no use. It was too damn cold.

"Aila," Kathryn said.

"Hmm?"

"You look cold."

"It is cold, Kat."

"Right... you know... it'd be warmer if... ah, never mind."

"What?" Aila asked. She would do just about anything to get warm.

"Well... It'd be warmer if we slept in the same bedroll."

Aila thought about what she said. It would be warmer.

"Okay," she said after a while. Aila jumped out of her bedroll and rushed over to Kathryn's. She climbed into the bedroll, acutely aware of the larger girl next to her. Almost immediately, she began to feel better, and Aila realized something. Kathryn was warm. Really warm. So warm something was off about it, but at the moment Aila didn't care. She was just glad to be out of the cold. With the frigidness gone Aila felt sleep begin take ahold of her. She barely registered huddling up next to Kathryn. "You're warm..." Aila muttered before she fell asleep.

The morning of the third day came, and Aila woke on something soft. She lifted her head and yawned. "Sorry," she said. She had been laying on Kathryn's chest.

"I don't mind," Kathryn said with a small smile. Aila climbed out of the bedroll and looked through her sack for breakfast, hiding the fact she was blushing. It was warmer that morning, but still cold.

"Do you know how long until we get there?" Aila asked. "I'm sick of walking."

"I think we're almost there, actually. Look." Kathryn pointed of into the distance. The land was mostly plains, so Aila could see for leagues. On the horizon she could see a faint object. At first she thought it was a mountain, but it was too small. Then Aila thought she could make out a the shape of a building.

"Is that Whiterun?" Aila asked.

"I think so," Kathryn answered.

"Let's hurry then. I want to get there as soon as possible." Aila pack up her bedroll.

"What about breakfast?"

"Here," Aila tossed Kathryn a slice of cheese and some beef. "We can eat while we're walking."

They kept a faster than normal pace to reach Whiterun quicker. "Kathryn?" Aila asked when they were close.

"Yeah?"

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"No," Kathryn admitted.

"Is it because I was laying on you? I'm sorry."

"No, it's not you fault. I don't think I would've been able to sleep either way."

"How do you go three nights without any sleep?" Aila asked.

"Actually, it's been longer than that."

"When was the last time you slept, then?"

"Loredas."

"That was six days ago! How do you never get tired?" Kathryn only shrugged again. It was hard to believe Kathryn hadn't slept in five days. They had reached the city. "Well maybe you'll get some sleep tonight," Aila said as they pushed open the doors to Whiterun.

When they opened, there was a man on the other side. He was a great brute of a Redguard, twice as tall as Aila and looked as if he could take on saber cat bare handed, though he could just as easily use the massive warhammer that was slung across his back. The sight of him sent Aila into a silence. He walked past without a word. Aila could hear the clinking and clacking of his armour as he walked. When he was safely past, Aila realized she was holding her breath. She let it out and looked at Kathryn, and she looked at her.

"Damn," Kathryn said.


	6. 5: Whiterun

Whiterun

"Do you smell that?" Kathryn asked.

Aila sniffed the air. "Smell what?"

"That... smell."

Aila rolled her eyes. "Oh, _that. _Yes, I can totally smell that."

Kathryn ignored her sarcasm. "It smells familiar. I can't quite place it though." She shook her head. "Ah, no matter."

The walked past buildings and shops. There were people at stalls selling all sorts of items, from food to jewelery. "Wow," Kathryn said. "It's so big. Riverwood is so small in comparison."

"It's not that big," Aila said. "The Imperial City must be three times as big."

"You've been to the Imperial City?" Kathryn asked.

"A long time ago." Memories of loneliness and solitude came rushing back to Aila. She remembered sitting in the streets as a young girl, alone and afraid. She had no idea who she was, or where she came from. People walked by, but no one paid any attention to her. "I'd rather not talk about it." she said. Kathryn nodded, and they continued to walk through the city.

Kathryn was fascinated by almost everything they saw. She had lived in Riverwood her entire life, and anything new was exciting. They found an apothecary shop, and a shrine, dedicated to Talos. They came across a rather depressing sight of large dead tree. A priestess of Kynareth told them that it was called the Gildergreen. When they saw a large building that looked like it was made of an overturned boat, Kathryn stopped.

"Excuse me," she called to a passing guard. "What is that place?"

The guard laughed. "You're joking right?" he said. "That's Jorrvaskr. Mead hall of the Companions."

"Oh, right." Kathryn said. The guard resumed his patrol. Kathryn continued looking at the building.

"Come on Kat, I think we've seen all there is to see. Let's get a room at the tavern." Aila said. Kathryn didn't seem to hear. "Kat?" Aila said again.

"Hmm?"

"Come on, let's go."

"Yeah... okay."

They walked to the tavern they saw while exploring Whiterun. The Bannered Mare it was called. They opened the doors to reveal a cozy little scene. There was a fire pit in the middle of the room. Benches surrounding it to warm any weary travelers, such as themselves. A bard was strumming on his lute. When they approached the bar, the innkeeper asked them, "Can I help you?"

"I'd like to rent a room for two," Kathryn said.

The innkeeper looked between Kathryn and Aila. "The only room I have available has just one bed."

"Do you know if another will be available soon?" Kathryn asked.

"Afraid not," the innkeeper said.

Kathryn let out a sigh. "Guess I'm sleeping on the floor. We'll take it."

"Upstairs in the back, second door on the left. How long are you staying?"

"Two nights."

"That'll be fifty gold."

Kathryn paid her and headed to their room, Aila following close behind.

"Kathryn," Aila said. "You don't have to sleep on the floor."

"It doesn't matter." Kathryn said.

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"No, I mean it doesn't matter because I won't sleep."

"Oh, right." Aila was still trying to understand how Kathryn could go so long with no sleep. They entered their room and laid out all their stuff. There was a chest at the foot of the bed for storage. "Are you sure you won't sleep?" Aila asked. "I mean, you haven't for five days."

Kathryn shook her head. "I probably could, but I'd rather not even try. The longest I've gone without sleep is a month." Aila's jaw dropped. "Trying to sleep now," Kathryn continued, "would be like you trying to sleep after a nap. What?"

"A month?!" Aila exclaimed.

Kathryn shrugged. "I don't know why, I just don't feel tired."

"Kathryn, you are the strangest girl I have ever met."

"I'm flattered."

"You should be. It was a compliment."

Kathryn laughed. "I think your compliments need a little work."

Aila settled in a chair by the wall. "So," she said "two days?"

Kathryn nodded "That should give us enough time to rest and find a carriage driver to take us to Winterhold."

"What will we do until then? We still have plenty on daylight left," Aila said.

"Well..." Kathryn said, thinking. "I want to check out that mead hall."

"You mean Jorrvaskr? Who are the companions anyway?"

"Oh, just a bunch of warriors. I never really cared for them."

"If you don't care for them why do you want to go see their mead hall?" Aila asked.

Kathryn hesitated a moment before saying "You know that smell I told you about earlier?"

"You mean that smell that smells?" Aila teased. "I remember."

"Well, it seems like it's coming from there."

"What does it smell like, exactly?"

"I don't know how to explain it," Kathryn said. "I don't think I've ever smelled it before and yet it smells incredibly familiar."

"Is it a good smell or a bad smell?"

"Neither. It's just... there."

"How odd," Aila said.

"Yeah," Kathryn agreed. "Wanna go check it out?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

He watched from afar, hiding in plain sight. People passed him by like he wasn't even there. The only one who knew was the woman next to him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked quietly. "We must go, Damon will soon be at High Hrothgar, and the sun is starting to get to me."

"Soon?" the man replied. "He just left. It will take him many days to get there. On Deloth it will take mere hours. Besides, I think I found another one."

"Another? Where?"

He pointed to a small elven woman leaving The Bannered Mare. "The little one, walking with the _mungrohiik._"

The woman crinkled her nose. "Wolves," she said. "This entire city reeks of them. Are you sure she is one? I did not think we would find more any more."

"_Geh_, I'm sure. Her power is dormant, though."

"So send a dragon her way."

"No, she is too weak. A _dovah_ would kill her."

"Then why even bother with her?"

"Because if we want to defeat the World-Eater, we must find all the help we can get."

The woman sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Train her," the man said. "Indirectly."

"How?"

"Through the Companions."

"Why must I do it?" the woman complained.

"You are better at manipulation than me."

"If that were true I could manipulate you into doing it instead of me."

"I also need to keep an eye on Damon."

The woman stood in silence for a moment. "Fine."

The man smiled and kissed the woman. "_Kogaan,_" he said.

"But I expect a reward when I get back."

The man laughed. "We'll see," he said before leaving the city, leaving the woman to brood all on her lonesome.

* * *

Aila walked in to a fistfight. The Dunmer and the Nord were throwing punches at each other, while the rest watched. They were so engrossed in the fight that only two people noticed Aila and Kathryn walk in. An older looking man with a blind eye, and a woman with rather revealing armour. The fight looked to be in the dark elf's favour, he seemed to be pressing the Nordic woman, until one good punch from her sent the Dunmer to the ground. The spectators started cheering, all except the man with the blind eye and the woman. They just watched Aila and Kathryn. The onlookers slowly went back to whatever they were doing as someone carried off the Dunmer, who was knocked unconscious.

"I don't suppose you've found what you're looking for," Aila said. She just entered, and she already wanted to leave.

"No," Kathryn said. "But that smell is definitely coming from here." Aila saw the woman and the one-eyed man walking toward them.  
"Maybe you can ask them."

As they got closer Aila noticed something weird. "Kathryn look, their eyes... they're just like yours."

"Yeah, you're right." Kathryn said.

The woman had the same silver eyes as Kathryn, as well as the man's remaining eye.

"Who are you?" The man asked them.

"We just came into the city," Kathryn said. "We heard the Companions were here and we wanted to see for ourselves."

"Well you came to the right place," said the woman. "I'm Aela, and this is Skjor."

"I'm Kathryn."

Aila knew it was her turn to speak. "Uh... I... I'm..." she stammered.

"This is Aila," Kathryn said. "Sorry, she's a bit shy."

"Clearly."

Aila looked down at her feet.

"So what was that fighting about?" Kathryn asked.

"Oh, nothing much," Aela said. The one-eyed man walked away looking bored. "Athis said some snide comment most like."

"Athis? The dark elf?"

Aela nodded. "That's the one."

Aila tugged at Kathryn's sleeve. "Kat," she murmured.

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to head back."

"Okay. I'm going to stay here for a bit. Don't get lost."

"I won't," she said and headed out the door. Aila took a deep breath and let it out. Why did she have to be so nervous around other people? She looked around the city. _Now what? _She thought. She walked to the market and saw all the things for sale. She was tempted to buy a necklace made of gold with a ruby in the middle, but she decided against it. All the gold she had was Kathryn's. She shouldn't waste it on jewelery. Aila came to a shop called Belethor's General Good's and went inside. A Breton was leaning on a counter at the other end of the store. Aila assumed the man to be Belethor.

"Hello, hello," he said "Come right on in." Aila looked around. There was an abundance of items on sale. There were clothes, books, pelts, gems, and other things. "Take all the time you need to look around and see what you like," Belethor said. Aila's gaze fell upon a book. She pulled it from its shelf to get a better look at it. The cover was blank except for a depiction of a ball of flames on the front. She opened it. _This is a spell tome. _Aila realized. It seemed to be for a spell called Ice Spike. Aila grabbed another book like it. This one had a tree on it that was burnt on one side. She opened it and saw it contained a spell called Oakflesh.

"H-how much do these cost?" Aila asked.

"For both of them? Eighty gold."

Eighty gold wasn't so bad. Besides, Kathryn could make good use of these. Aila looked along the shelf for more books when something caught her eye. She grabbed the book and looked at it.

"What ab-bout this one?"

"That one? Why would you want that?"

"No r-reason." Aila said.

"Tell you what, you buy those spell tomes, and I'll give you that thing for free. I'd be happy to get rid of it."

Aila thought about it. Kathryn would be glad to have the tomes. "Okay" Aila paid him and left the store. She headed back to the room at the Tavern and set the books down on a table. Aila picked up the book she got for free. Why did she buy this? She'd sooner forget all about dragons. Aila turned the cover and began to read.


	7. 6: Nightmares

Nightmares

Aila walked through fields of fire. The land burned a vibrant red-orange colour, and the sky was filled with black holes. Giant boulders rained down from the sky, narrowly missing Aila. The flames licked at her skin, turning it dark. High above was the dragon, its roars so loud the ground shook. It flew at Aila, spreading its massive wings and landed in front of her. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn't move. It opened its mouth and she saw flames spurt from the depths of its throat.

"Aila!"

Aila jerked awake at the sound of Kathryn's voice. She was sweating profusely, and she could feel her heart thudding in her chest. Kathryn was next to her. When Aila saw her she felt herself begin to calm down.

"Are you okay?" Kathryn asked, her silver eyes full of concern. Aila nodded weakly. "Sorry for taking so long. After I as done talking with Aela, I went to find a carriage driver. When I got back you were already asleep. You started thrashing about and whimpering, so I woke you up. Were you having a nightmare?"

"Y...yeah," Aila said.

"Was it about the dragon?"

Aila nodded again. She hadn't had a nightmare in so long, Aila thought maybe they had stopped.

"Aila, the dragon can't hurt you now," Kathryn said. When Aila didn't answer she sighed. She reached over and picked up the book Aila was reading. "A book about dragons," she said. "No wonder you had a nightmare." Kathryn opened to a random page and began to read aloud "I believe there once was a man, a man with power rivaling even Tiber Septim's, and that he was even able to tame dragons. Why are you reading this, Aila?"

Aila shook her head. "I don't know, the shopkeeper said if I bought the other books then I could have that one for free."

"Other books?"

"They're on that table over there."

Kathryn picked up one of them. She looked through them, and Aila saw her eyes widen. "These are spell tomes!" she exclaimed.

"I thought you would like to try to learn them."

"Aila... that's so thoughtful of you. Thank you."

Aila blushed. "It wasn't that much. And I did buy it with your money."

"Even so."

Aila yawned. "What time is it?" she asked Kathryn.

"I'm not sure, the sun went down a few hours ago. You should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah..." Aila was tired, but she was still to scared to sleep.

"Well, I guess I'll go, then," Kathryn said. "Try not to think about dragons. Good night." She started towards the door.

"Kat, wait," Aila said.

Kathryn stopped. "What is it?"

"Could you... maybe... sleep with me? I don't want to be alone."

Kathryn was silent for a moment, as if thinking. Aila was worried how she would react.

"Of course," Kathryn said with a smile. Aila lifted up the covers, and she climbed in, laying next to her. Aila could feel the heat emanating off Kathryn. She remembered when they were walking to Whiterun, and they had slept together to fight the cold. Kathryn was very warm. It was rather nice, though. Aila looked at Kathryn. She was staring up at the ceiling, her silver eyes glimmering. Aila felt a sudden wave of emotion flow over her. She didn't know what it was; she had never felt anything like it before. Kathryn was so close. Aila wanted to be closer. She reached over and grabbed Kathryn's hand. Kathryn looked down at her, but she didn't flinch away like Aila had half-expected. Instead she curled her fingers around Aila's. Wordless, Aila scooted closer to Kathryn. She laid her head on her chest and closed her eyes. Aila felt Kathryn's arm move across her waist.

"Mmm..." Aila mumbled. Kathryn was so warm. It was like she was melting away all her fears. Aila drifted back to sleep, feeling safe and secure in Kathryn's arms.

She was still there when she woke. Aila's eyes fluttered open. She was lying on her side, with Kathryn behind her. Her arm was draped around Aila's waist. She lay there for a few moments longer. Then Kathryn moved her arm.

"Are you awake?" Aila heard her ask.

"Yeah." Aila turned to face her. "Good morning," she said, smiling.

Kathryn smiled back. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Aila sat up. "Yep."

"No nightmares?"

"Nope."

"Good."

Aila felt her stomach growl. "Let's go get some food," she said.

They headed down to the main hall and ordered breakfast. Aila found herself thinking about the previous night. Why had she done that? She could have just laid there. Instead, she had moved right up next to Kathryn and cuddled with her. Kathryn didn't seem to mind though. And earlier, when she had her arm around Aila... she looked over at Kathryn. She was munching away happily on some cheese. Aila's felt her heart skip a beat._  
_

"Oh, by the way," Kathryn said. "I found a carriage to take us to Winterhold yesterday. He said he can take us whenever we're ready."

"That's good," Aila said.

"I paid for two nights at the inn, but we can leave today if you want."

Aila thought about it. "I suppose there's no point in lingering here."

"Yeah," Kathryn said. "That's true. When do you want to go?"

Aila shrugged. "Whenever is fine."

"I guess we should leave as soon as we're packed up then."

"Okay."

They finished their breakfast and went back to the room. Aila was in the middle of folding clothes when Kathryn called to her. "Aila? Where's the jar of septims?"

"Isn't it in that chest?"

"No, it's not."

"What?" Aila walked to the chest and saw that Kathryn was right. Aila had tucked it away in the corner and covered it with some clothes, but now it was gone.

"Did you already pack it up?" Kathryn asked.

"I don't think so." Aila checked anyway. She couldn't find it. "Where did it go? It can't have just disappeared."

"It has to be here somewhere," Kathryn said. They looked everywhere. They looked under the bed, in the wardrobe, and they even took out everything that had packed up, yet it was nowhere to be found. It was an hour later before they gave up. Kathryn looked to be on the verge of tears. "What are we going to do?" she asked. "The carriage driver won't take us without payment."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Aila said.

"How could it? Our money is gone. After tonight we won't even be able to stay at the tavern."

Aila didn't know want to say. She wanted to comfort Kathryn. Somehow. "We... we could find a job."

"Yeah. Except it would take years to save up enough to enter the college."

"There must be something we can do," Aila said.

"Like what? There's nothing..." she stopped suddenly.

"What? Kat, what is it?"

"Well," Kathryn said, "we might be able to get help from the Companions."

"The warriors? How would they help us?"

"The Companions take on jobs and get paid five times the amount most people earn. If we could do some of those jobs, I'd bet we could make a more than enough money."

"Don't you have to be a Companion to do one of those jobs?" Aila asked.

"Yeah, you do."

"So how does that help us?"

Kathryn only smiled.

"Oh no, please do not tell me you're thinking what I think you're thinking." Aila said. But by then, they were already headed toward Jorrvaskr. "How do you know they'll even take us?" Aila asked. "I don't know how to use a sword."

"I'm sure they will," Kathryn said. "And you can learn to use one."

"What if I don't want to learn? Besides, you're not a warrior, you're a mage."

"Who says I can't be both? There are plenty of spellswords in Skyrim."

"What about me?" Aila asked. "I'm not a warrior."

"You're just being stubborn. It won't be as hard as you think. When I was talking with Aela yesterday, she said there were all sorts of jobs. Anything from killing some rabid skeevers, to rescuing hostages."

"I could probably kill some skeevers, but how am I supposed to rescue a hostage?"

"What I meant was you could do the easy jobs."

"Oh... I guess I could do that. But I still don't think they'll let us join."

"Neither do I," a voice said.

Aila turned to see Aela behind them. "And why not?" Kathryn asked.

"For exactly the same reasons your little friend here mentioned. From what she said, you're a mage, and we don't take mages. And you," She turned to Aila. "you don't look like you could even lift a sword." Aila tried to say something, but the words caught in her throat. "You see?" Aela continued, turning back to Kathryn "She can't even speak properly."

"You don't have to be so rude," Kathryn said. "You know, you were nicer yesterday."

Aela threw her hands up defensively. "I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just trying to warn you. The decision really isn't up to me. If you insist on going through with this folly, then you'll have to talk to Kodlak."

"Can you take us to him?" Kathryn asked.

"Alright. Follow me."

They walked into Jorrvaskr and headed down the stairs at the end of the main hall. There, they walked down a long corridor. Aila saw doors connecting into other rooms, most of which were filled with beds. _Odd, _Aila thought. There were twice as many beds as there were Companions. Aela led them to a room at the end of the corridor. When she opened the door they found an old man sitting in a chair, reading a book. When he saw them come in he closed his book. "Kodlak," Aela said. "These two want to join."

"Do they now?" the old man said. "Let me have a look at them." He stood. He was surprisingly fit for his age. His hair had gone white, but he was very muscular. Aila saw his eyes and gasped. His eyes we silver, just like Kathryn's and Aela's. He looked at Kathryn first. Aila thought she saw his eyes narrow for a moment when he saw her, but the look was gone as soon as it came, and she couldn't be sure. Next he looked at Aila. He looked at her frail arms, and her skinny legs. "Yes," he said after a while. "I can see the potential in them."

"What?" Aela exclaimed. "Are you sure?" Aila was just as surprised as Aela. How could she have the makings of a warrior?

"Quite," Kodlak said. "With a little training, I'm sure these two will make excellent warriors. Besides, last time I checked we had some empty beds that need filling. Why don't you take them outside and test out their strength?"

Aela looked vexed. "Sir, I..." she sighed. "Very well."

Aela led them back through the corridor, up the stair, and out the back way of Jorrvaskr to a small yard. Outside, Aila saw stuffed dummies and archer targets. One of the Companions came walking up to them. His eyes were silver. _What's going on here? _

"Kathryn!" he said. "Nice to see you again."

"Vilkas," Kathryn responded. "Nice to see you too. Aila, this is Vilkas. I met him yesterday, after you left."

"H-hi," Aila stammered.

"Well met, lass," Vilkas said. He turned back to Kathryn. "So, what are you doing back here?"

Aela answered for her. "There here to join the Companions."

"Oh? Have they been to Kodlak?"

"We just saw him. He agreed to take them."

"Really?" He seemed surprised. "I can understand him taking Kathryn, but not her," he said, motioning towards Aila. "No offense."

_None taken, _Aila would've said, if she wasn't so shy. She had no more idea why Kodlak had accepted her than Vilkas or Aela.

"Kodlak told me to tell you to test them out," Aela said.

"Me?" Vilkas asked "Why me?"

Aela shrugged. "I didn't ask."

"Aela, Kodlak didn't say..." Kathryn started, but was silenced by Aela giving her a quick jab to the arm.

"You should probably get right on that," she said and left before anyone could get another word in.

Vilkas sighed. "I suppose it can't be helped. Come on." He walked over to a large table. On it, there were all sorts of weapons. Swords, axes, maces, daggers. He picked up a blunted sword and a shield and gave it to Kathryn. "Here," he said and grabbed one for himself. "Let's check out your sword arm." They walked out to a clearing in the middle of the yard. "Do you know how to wield one?" he asked.

"Not really." Kathryn answered.

"Wonderful. Let's begin."

Vilkas started. He swung at Kathryn slowly and precise, easily giving her enough time to raise her shield and block. "Good," Vilkas said. "At least you know that much."

"That wasn't exactly difficult," Kathryn said,

"Then how about this?"

He swung his sword down a bit faster this time, but Kathryn was still able to block it. As soon as the blade hit the shield, however, Vilkas snapped his hand back and swung a Kathryn's side. Kathryn dropped her sword as the blade hit her in the leg "Ow! No fair!"

"In battle, all is fair." He pointed his sword a her. "Rule number one: never let go of your weapon. Whether on purpose or accidental, losing your weapon will leave you venerable."

"Even if you have a shield?"

"Aye. If you have no weapon your opponent has no reason to fear you, and an opponent without fear is the most dangerous. Now pick up your sword, and this time, you attack me."

Vilkas was obviously an experienced fighter, and Kathryn couldn't land a single hit. Aila watched them fight, but her eyes were mostly on Kathryn. She watched her movements as she swung her sword, trying to land a hit, and lifted her shield to block oncoming blows. Something about the way she moved, inept as it was, set Aila's heart aflutter. Every time Kathryn flinched from a hit, Aila flinched as well. Aila shook her head and cleared her thoughts. She looked at the table covered in weapons and picked up a steel dagger. It was heavier than it looked. She set it down and grabbed a sword. She tried to pick it up and discovered that it too, was heavier than it looked. She grabbed it with both hands and lifted it. Aila waved the sword in front of her, admiring it. She swung at the empty air, as if slicing an enemy. Aila put the sword back down. It was too large. It made her feel slow and clumsy. She pick the dagger back up. This was much better. It wasn't that heavy. At least she could carry it properly. Aila swung the dagger back and forth. She could move much faster with it.

"Put that down before you hurt yourself," Vilkas said.

"S-sorry," Aila said, putting down the dagger. She hadn't noticed them stop their duel.

"It's your turn. Give her the sword, Kathryn."

"Here," Kathryn said. She handed Aila the blunted sword. It was lighter than the one she was holding earlier, and she could hold it with one hand. It was still to big though. Then Kathryn gave her the shield. She couldn't even hold that, and she would've dropped it had Kathryn not caught it.

"Great," Vilkas complained. "Just great. I can't believe Kodlak let you join."

"Hey!" Kathryn said. "It not her fault. She just isn't strong enough."

"That's exactly my point. No matter. You can lift the sword at least. We'll work with just that then."

They walked to the center if the yard and readied themselves.

"Wait," Kathryn said to Vilkas. "Aren't you going to put down your shield?"

"Your enemies aren't going to drop their shield just because you can't carry one, so I won't either."

"But that's completely unfair!"

"I told you before; in battle, all is fair."

Kathryn grumbled something that went unheard before going quiet.

"Now, since you don't have a shield you'll have to use your sword to block. Try to stop this." He swung his sword at Aila's side, and she held out her own and stopped it. "Good. Now try this." He swung down at her and she blocked it in response. Then he whipped back his hand and swung again, at her side. Aila moved her sword to block it and barely made it in time to knock the blade away. The sword made her feel awkward and wobbly. Even so, Aila couldn't help but feel proud of herself for blocking that second hit. She heard Kathryn cheering her on.

"That's the way to do it," Vilkas said. "You're faster than you look. Put that speed to use. Here I come!" He swiped at her again, faster this time, but Aila knocked the blade aside. She was doing surprisingly well. She blocked another slash, and another. On the fourth attack Vilkas swung faster than the other times, and Aila couldn't keep up with it, so instead of blocking she jumped back. The blade missed her by a few inches. Aila was startled when Vilkas suddenly laughed. "Good, Good! If you can't block the blade, avoid it! Do whatever you can to not get hit. You have good instincts, Aila."

"Th... thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet. From here on out it's going to be much harder."

And it was. All of Vilkas' attacks were faster than the first few. Aila rarely was able to block his sword, and most of the time she had to avoid it. That, however, wasn't much easier, and by the time they were finished Aila was covered in bruises. She hobbled over to Kathryn, grunting in pain. "Good job, Aila," Kathryn said.

"Aye," Vilkas agreed. "You surprised me, Aila. I think you did better than Kathryn, even without a shield."

"Really?" Aila asked.

"Aye."

"Wow. Did you here that Kat?" Aila was feeling exceptionally pleased with herself.

"Yeah, nice job!"

"Kat?" Vilkas asked

"Oh, that's just the nickname she gave me a little while after we met," Kathryn answered.

Vilkas seemed to find that amusing. "Kat, huh?" he chuckled. "Well I'll be going Kat. Be back her everyday at dawn if you're really intend on joining the Companions. We're going to have to work hard to get you two up to shape." He started to walk away.

"Why did he find that so funny?" Aila asked Kathryn, once he was out of earshot.

"I don't know. Why did you start calling me Kat, anyway?"

Aila shrugged. "You know I stutter when talking to new people. I tried to say Kathryn, but I kept ending up saying Kat. Eventually I just went with it."

"Huh. Well, we'd better get going. It's starting to get dark."

A rather awkward thought crossed Aila's mind. "Are we going to have to sleep down with the other Companions?"

"No, we still have another night left at the tavern, remember? After tomorrow though... I guess we will."

"Wonderful," Aila said, sarcastic. "I can't wait."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Easy for you to say. You probably won't even be there most of the time, with your sleeping habits."

"I will if you want me to," Kathryn said, smiling. Aila looked at her. She said it as if it was just a friendly offer, and maybe that's all it was, but for Aila it meant much more. "Speaking of which, will you be okay tonight?" Kathryn asked. "From the nightmares, I mean."

Aila was sorely tempted to say no, she wouldn't be, but she was afraid she would make Kathryn feel... weird. "Yeah, I'll be alright," she said.

"Are you sure? I'm always here if you need me."

_Here's your chance, _Aila thought. "I'll be fine. Really."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then. I'm going to explore the city some more." She gave her a hug, (which for Aila, was entirely too short) and left. Aila headed back to the tavern. She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. She missed Kathryn already.


	8. 7: Confessions

Confessions

"Keep the bow steady," Aela reminded her. "Aim for the middle and release."

Aila let loose the arrow and watched it fly. It landed a good few inches from the bullseye. "Not bad," Aela said. "Keep this up, and you might get as good with the bow as I am."

Aila looked excitedly over to Kathryn for approval, but she was too busy sparring with Vilkas to notice. Aila turned glumly back to the target before nocking another arrow. "This time try to take note of the wind," Aela said.

Aila pulled back and aimed. She sucked in and held her breath to steady her hand. She could feel the wind blowing. She turned a bit to the left and let go. This time the arrow landed just a couple of inches above the bullseye. "Ha!" Aela exclaimed. "There's no doubt about it Aila. You're a natural with the bow."

Aila was beaming with joy. She had never been this good with anything before. Most everything she tried, she mucked up. It was good to have something she did well. Aila watched Kathryn as her sparring session came to an end. She had picked up on swordplay quickly. She was able to block a majority of Vilkas' attacks and could even land a few hits of her own. Aila, on the other hand, wasn't doing much better than when she began. While she was getting stronger, Aila was still considerably weak. Every sword she carried was to heavy for her to use properly. She felt weighted when she used one, and that it only impaired her performance. Aila once asked if she could use a dagger instead of a sword, as it was lighter, but Vilkas only laughed. "A dagger is no weapon to be used in a fight," he had said, so she continued to use a sword. Every day Aila had more bruises than the previous, and she was constantly in pain from the soreness that came with her daily training. She watched as Kathryn took a swing at Vilkas, only to have her sword stopped by his shield.

Lately, Aila's feelings for Kathryn have been growing. The more she was with her, the more flustered she became. After every training session, Aila would go with Kathryn and spend some time with her. Sometimes Kathryn would walk around the city aimlessly, look around the market, or go somewhere quiet and practice her spells. Whatever she did, Aila was always close behind. Sometimes Aila would worry Kathryn would tire of her constant presence, but she seemed to enjoy having her around. The worst part of Aila's day was when night came. Night meant it was time to sleep, which meant she couldn't be near Kathryn.

After their room at the tavern expired, Aila had to sleep with the Companions. She had been lucky, though. The sleeping quarters comprised of two rooms, one of which was entirely empty. That was the room where Aila slept. Every night, Aila would lay down on her bed, and memories of her first night in Whiterun would come rushing back to her. She remembered laying in Kathryn's arms, the warmth of her body next to Aila's. She often wondered how Kathryn felt about her. Did she think of that night as Aila did? Or was she just trying to comfort her, because of the nightmare she had? Either way, the bed seemed cold without her. Each morning, Aila would immediately go looking for Kathryn. As soon as she saw her, she had to resisted the urge to run over and kiss her. It was an odd feeling, wanting to kiss another woman, but she wanted to badly. She could imagine the feeling of Kathryn's warm lips upon her own. The thought was enticing.

Aila's thoughts were disturbed when Aela called out to her. "Aila!" she said. "What are you looking at? We're not done here yet, you still have a few more minutes."

"Sorry," Aila said and nocked an arrow. She loosed five more arrows, but none of them came as close to the bullseye as the last one. Even so, Aila prided herself on hitting the target every time. And with that, she was done for the day. Tomorrow she would train her swordplay with Vilkas. She dreaded that thought. Aila and Kathryn alternated their training between the bow and the sword everyday. One day, Aila would train with the bow and Kathryn with the sword, the next, Aila with the sword and Kathryn with the bow. But her training was over, and now she could be with Kathryn. She set down her bow and ran over to Kathryn, who was taking off her shield. "Kat, look!" Aila exclaimed "I almost hit the middle!"

Kathryn looked over and smiled. That simple action made Aila's heart skip a beat. "Wow," she said. "Good job, I don't think I could ever get that close."

Aila smiled at the compliment. "So what are you going to do today?" she asked

"I think I'm going to go practice some spells. Do you want to come with me?"

"Of course."

They left Jorrvaskr and headed outside the gates of Whiterun. They walked around the wall a bit until they came across a creek. This was the ideal spot for Kathryn to practice. No one was around to complain, and it was out-of-the-way so nothing bad would happen if there were any accidents. "Can you do that one spell with the light?" Aila asked.

"Candlelight?"

"Yeah, that one."

Kathryn had already gotten a job from the Companions. It was pretty simple: go to a nearby cave and clear out some wolves, but with the money she got from it she was able to by a couple new spell tomes. "Sure," Kathryn said.

She held out her hand and focused. Aila saw a light forming in her hand. Kathryn closed her hand a bit, seemingly squeezing the light, and then quickly opened her hand and threw it into the air. The little ball of light floated there, unsupported. It was bright, like a miniature sun. Aila reached up and tried to touch it, but it slipped right through her fingers. "It's so pretty," Aila said. _Just like you._

"Yeah," Kathryn agreed. "It is."

Aila looked at her. She was so beautiful. Her silver eyes were reflecting the light, making them seem to glow. Aila wondered what would happen if she confessed her feelings to Kathryn right now. Would she be disgusted? Would the thought of being with another woman revolt her? Or would it be the opposite, and she felts the same way? Kathryn caught her looking, but she just smiled at her. Aila looked away in embarrassment.

Kathryn held out her hand and began to focus again. This time a little blizzard formed around her hand. She squeezed her hand and Aila saw an icicle starting to form. She held it for a bit longer before throwing it into the air. It flew up past the little light and kept on going until it disappeared from sight. "How many of those can you do at a time?" Aila asked.

"Let's find out. That was one." She held out both her hands this time, and she formed the icicles faster than the first. She threw one. "Two." as soon as she threw it she started to form another. She threw the one in her other hand. "Three." When one was finished she threw it and immediately started another. "Four. Five. Six." It was taking longer for her to complete the icicles. "Seven." She tried to throw one more, but it shattered as soon as it left her hand. By the end of it she was breathing heavily. "Seven. That's how many... I can throw."

"I had no idea it was such hard work," Aila said.

"It normally isn't, but... I don't have much magicka... and I haven't been properly trained." Kathryn said, gasping between breaths.

"What do you do when you're out of magicka?"

"Wait. It comes back gradually. There are also magicka potions to restore it instantly, but I can't afford any of those."

"What if you're in a middle of a fight and you run out?"

"Then it's a good idea to have a weapon on you."

"Oh. I guess it's a good thing you're taking lessons in swordplay then," Aila said.

"Yeah. I think a lot of mages think their magic is enough for them, and they end up dead because of it."

The ball of light started flickering. "I thinks it's about to go out," Aila said. Sure enough, the light slowly faded until disappearing all together.

"It seems to only last about a minute," Kathryn said.

"What other spells to you know?" Aila asked.

"The only other spell I know is Oakflesh."

"What's that do?"

"It's supposed to protect you from physical attacks."

"Really? How?"

"I'll show you in a moment, once I've regained enough magicka."

They waited for a bit longer, and Aila continued to watch Kathryn. Gods, she was so beautiful. She wanted to move closer to her. Wrap her arms around her. Kiss her. She wanted to do something. She tried to grabbed Kathryn's hand, but her arm wouldn't move. She was too damn nervous.

Finally Kathryn spoke. "Okay, I think I have enough now." She closed her eyes and made an arcane gesture. Suddenly her body flashed with light. When her eyes opened her whole body looked like it was covered with a shiny coating. "Here, feel." She held out her arm. Aila reached out and touched it.

"Whoa," Aila said. It was hard as a rock.

"The spell tome said that it can only take a certain amount of damage before it breaks," Kathryn said. "There are other, stronger spells that can take more damage." Aila wrapped her hand around her arm. "I can't even feel that." Kathryn said.

"That's so cool," Aila said. Then the spell ended.

The shiny layer disappeared, and Aila was left holding Kathryn's arm. Her warm, smooth arm._ I should probably let go now, _Aila thought. She drew circles with her thumb on Kathryn's arm.

"Um... Aila? Can I have my arm back, please?"

Aila looked up at her. _Kiss her. Right now. Just do it. _"S...sorry," she said and let go. She looked down at her feet, too embarrassed to look at Kathryn. She leaned against the wall of Whiterun and sat down. _I'm such a coward. _She wanted to cry.

"Are you alright, Aila?"

_No. _"Yes."

"That's a blatant lie." Kathryn sat down next to her. "What's wrong?"

_Everything._ "Nothing."

"Did you have another nightmare?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

_I'm in love with you. _"I'm fine, Kat. Really."

Kathryn gave her a doubtful look. "Aila..." She grasped Aila's hand. "You know you can tell me anything. What is it?"

Aila couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and she started to weep. _If you were a man, this would be so much easier. _But Aila wouldn't change Kathryn for the world. When she saw her tears, Kathryn didn't say a word. She only put an arm around her and held her quietly. She was obviously puzzled over Aila's sudden breakdown, but she didn't press it any further. For that, Aila was grateful. All she wanted was to be in Kathryn's arms. If she confessed, this could be a common occurrence. Or Kathryn would never speak to her again. Aila didn't know if she could handle that.

Eventually, Aila's tear's ceased to flow, but Kathryn continued to hold her. "Kat," Aila asked. "Have you ever loved anybody?"

"I had a crush once, when I was a child," Kathryn replied.

"Who was it?"

"Sven."

"The bard?"

"Yeah. It didn't last very long though. He thought I was a freak, just like everyone else in Riverwood. It's one of the main reasons why I left."

"I don't think you're a freak," Aila said.

Kathryn smiled. "I know you don't. That's why I asked you to come with me." The sky was turning orange. "Come on," Kathryn said. "We should get back before the guards close the gates for the night."

Aila would sooner stay out here, with Kathryn, but then they would get locked outside for the night, and in the harsh lands of Skyrim, one did not want to be locked outside without protection from the cold. "Okay," Aila said. She stood up and followed Kathryn back into the gates of Whiterun.

As they neared Jorrvaskr, Kathryn asked "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"

Aila desperately wanted her to stay. She almost said yes, but then she thought of the Companions. What would they think if they saw them? Then she thought of how Kathryn rarely slept. She would probably have to stay up all night lying restlessly in a bed. "No, I'll be alright." she said. Kathryn nodded and continued walking. They arrived just as the sun was setting, where they found Aela at the door, waiting for them.

"Aela," Kathryn said. "What are you doing here?"

"There are some important matters that need... discussing."

"Like what?"

"This isn't the place. Follow me."

"Um... okay." She turned to Aila. "I'll see you in the morning."

"No," Aela said. "She's coming as well."

"Huh?" Aila said. What was she needed for?

"You heard me." she started walking away.

Aila looked at Kathryn, who shrugged and went after her. At first, Aila thought she was leading them up to the forge, but right before they reached the stairs leading up to them, Aela turned and stopped in front of the stone wall. "What are we doing here, Aela?" Kathryn asked. She didn't answer. Aela placed her hand on the wall and pushed on it. Aila squeaked in surprise when a section of the stone wall suddenly lifted up to reveal a secret cave.

"In here," Aela said.

"What's going on?" Kathryn asked. Again, no answer.

They followed Aela into cavern under the forge. In the middle was a large basin, elevated by a pillar. There was a tunnel on the other side of the cavern shrouded in darkness. Aela walked over and leaned on the basin. Aila and Kathryn took their places across from her.

Kathryn was growing impatient. "Well?" she said. "What did you want to discuss?"

Aela looked between the two of them silently. Finally she turned to Aila. "Do you know what lycanthropy is?" Aila thought she saw Kathryn flinch slightly.

"You... you mean like werewolves?" Aila asked.

"Yes, werewolves."

"What about them?"

"Do you know what kinds of side effects are caused from lycanthropy?"

"What are you doing, Aela?" Kathryn asked. Her voice was shaking a bit.

Aela ignored her. "Answer me, Aila."

"Uh... you mean besides turning into a giant wolf every full moon?" Aila said, half jokingly. Aela didn't smile. "No, I don't"

"I'll tell you then. There are three main side effects. A werewolf's blood run hot in their veins, making their bodies extremely warm. That's the first."

"What are you doing, Aela?" Kathryn asked again. "Why are you telling her this?" She seemed almost scared. That worried Aila.

Aela continued, disregarding Kathryn. "Second, werewolves have a massive increase in energy and stamina, which usually results in being unable to sleep for many days at a time."

_Why is she telling me this? _

"Aela, please stop." Kathryn pleaded. Suddenly the pieces clicked together. _No, it can't be true._ _She's not, it isn't true._

"And finally..." Aela hesitated a moment. "Werewolves have silver eyes that turn yellow during a transformation."

Aila couldn't believe her ears. If what she said was true, Aela was a werewolf. So was Vilkas, and Kodlak. As well as Farkas, Vilkas' brother who Aila met only briefly, and Skjor, the one-eyed man she did her best to avoid. But above all, so was Kathryn.

"Kat... is that true?" Aila asked.

Kathryn turned to face her. She had a scared expression on her face. "Aila, I... I'm not... I don't... I'm sorry."

_Gods above... _"I... I have to go," Aila said. She walked away as quickly as she dared. She didn't even realize she had gone through the dark tunnel, instead of the entrance. Aila felt tears rolling down her cheeks, and she tried to wipe them away. She remembered the day Kathryn and her left Riverwood. Kathryn had been so angry then, from the villagers insults. Her eyes had turned yellow. She must have been close to transforming.

The tunnel ended abruptly. Aila stood right at the edge of the ledge. Below her was the ground, and outward was the vast expanse of Skyrim. It seemed the tunnel led out of the city. The drop was only about five or six feet down but it was enough to deter Aila. The only way to go was back.

"Aila, wait!" Kathryn called. She came running after her. "Please, Aila, wait." It wasn't like she had anywhere to go. "I'm sorry." she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"How?" Aila asked, her voice shaking. "How could you not tell me something like that?"

"Because I was afraid. I was afraid that if you know the truth, you would be scared of me. Everyone in Riverwood thought I was a freak. I couldn't stand you thinking that as well." She was close to tears. "It's hard, Aila. Living like I am. Every day I have to fight these urges. I have to resist pouncing on every small animal I see, and I have to stop myself from mauling anyone who even slightly upsets me. But when I'm with you... when I'm with you, I don't feel that way. Aila, please..." She tried to grab Aila's hands.

Aila recoiled at her touch. "No, don't touch me."

Kathryn snapped her hands back. Aila saw tears rolling down her cheeks. It made Aila's stomach turn. She had never actually seen her cry before. Kathryn didn't tell her the most paramount fact about her life, and it hurt. But seeing her here, like this... It was more painful than anything Kathryn may or may not have told her. "Kat... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"No," Kathryn said. "You have every right to be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid."

"I would be, in your place." She went quiet for a moment. "Aila?"

"What?"

"Remember earlier, when you asked me if I ever loved anybody?"

Why was she bringing this up? "Yes."

"Well... there's someone else I loved as well."

"Who?"

"You."

Aila was dumbstruck. "W...what did you say?"

"I said I love you, Aila."

She couldn't believe it. Aila had been mulling over whether or not to tell Kathryn her true feelings for days, and then Kathryn was suddenly confessing that she loved her. "I love you too, Kat." She must have been caught up in the shock of it all and said it too casually.

"No, Aila, I mean I'm _in _love with you. I know it's weird; a woman isn't supposed to be attracted to another woman, but I am. I love you. I love your hair, and your beautiful blue eyes. I love your cute little smile and your..." Aila cut her off with a kiss.

She stepped forward and placed her lips on Kathryn's. She was taller than her, so Aila had to stand on her toes. Aila wrapped her arms around Kathryn's waist as they kissed. Eventually, they broke apart for air. Aila looked into Kathryn's silver eyes. "I love you too, Kat."


	9. 8: First Mission

First Mission

Aila was pissed. The worst part was she didn't even know why. It seemed that everything she looked at irritated her. All except, of course, for Kathryn. Her day started out well enough; she was awakened by Kathryn with a gentle kiss on the lips, who said it was time to start the day. That wasn't unusual, except for the kiss, she always woke up early. If she didn't, Aela would come down and pour a bucket of ice water over her head. Aila learned that the hard way. It may have been from the lack of sleep. Aila had stayed up with Kathryn, kissing and cuddling. By the time she had fallen asleep, it was late into the night. Whatever the reason, Aila was loath to start her training with Vilkas.

She watched as he came up to her, clad in full armour and a shield, as well as a dagger strapped to his side, leaving Aila with nothing but a sword. _This is utterly unfair._ She lifted her blade resentfully and readied herself. "You know what to do," Vilkas said, "Let's begin."

Vilkas started. He slashed at Aila, aiming for her side. She parried the attack and swiped at him in return, only to be stopped by his shield. _Stupid shield, _She thought. She tried again, aiming for his leg, but he knocked her blade away. _Stupid sword. _Aila jumped back to avoid a blow, only to have her foot catch on a loose rock and nearly fall to the ground. _Stupid rock. _She regained her balance and took a swing at Vilkas. He blocked it and swung at Aila, hitting her in the arm. She grunted in pain and looked at him in bitterness. "Keep your sword up!" He said.

"I know, I know!" Aila was not in the mood to be lectured. Vilkas continued to batter her with his attacks. She couldn't keep up with them. She tried to knock away his blade, but she didn't make it in time. He hit her again, this time in the leg. "Ow!" she yelped.

"You need to move faster!"

"I can't! This thing is too heavy!" she held up her sword.

"It's not my fault you're so unfit."

Aila glowered at him. She was sick of him treating her like some weakling. How was she supposed to move fast with this heavy sword weighing her down? Vilkas hacked at her, coming in from the left. She blocked it, but he turned and swung a second time, hitting her in the hip. Before she had time recover, he swung again. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _Time seemed to slow. She lifted her sword and knocked away Vilkas'. Without thinking, she dropped her sword and spun behind Vilkas. She grabbed his dagger and, in one quick motion, pulled it from its sheath and rammed the hilt of it into his helmet. He collapsed onto the ground, stunned. _Whoa,_ Aila thought.

She suddenly realized everyone in the yard was looking at her. Aila dropped the dagger and held herself, uncomfortable. Kathryn ran over to her, wide-eyed. "Aila, that was Incredible!" she said. "How'd you do that?"

"I... I don't know." The sudden rush of adrenaline Aila had felt was gone.

"I think you knocked him out."

"What? Really?" Vilkas wasn't moving. She must have.

Aela had come over to inspect him. "He's out cold," she confirmed. "Farkas! Get over here."

Vilkas' brother came running. He looked similar to Vilkas, but a bit more brawny, and slow-witted. "What happened?" he asked.

"What do you think happened, icebrain? Aila knocked him out. Take him inside."

"Knocked him out? Wow, I haven't seen Vilkas beaten in ages." He picked up Vilkas and carried him inside.

Aela watched them go before turning to Aila. "I can't believe you actually beat him."

"It wasn't that remarkable," Aila said.

"Not that remarkable? Very few people have been able to defeat him, Aila. Vilkas is the best fighter we have."

"I didn't know that."

"He is. I'm beginning to see why Kodlak let you join."Aela looked at her for a moment, thinking. "I think you're ready for a job."

"A job?" Aila asked. "Truly?"

"Aye, and I have the perfect one in mind."

"What is it?"

"A frost troll."

Aela explained it the her. The people of The Rift have been reporting a number of missing livestock. There have even been a few cases of people who have gone missing. Locals say that a frost troll has been spotted at many of the incidents, but no one has been able to catch it. They've enlisted The Companions for help. "Your job," Aela said, "Is to find it, and kill it."

"That's it?" Aila asked. "Kill a frost troll?"

"Don't be fooled, they can be hard to kill. That being said, I don't think you'll have too much trouble. Even so I'd like you to take someone with you."

Aila glanced at Kathryn. "When do I leave?"

"First thing tomorrow, would be best. We'll take care of transportation, just be ready to leave by then. You've got the rest of the day off to prepare."

Aila nodded and headed inside Jorrvaskr. She saw that Vilkas had regained consciousness and was sitting on a nearby bench, attended by Tilma, the caretaker. When he saw her, he gave small nod. Aila smiled and continued down to the sleeping quarters. She closed the door behind her as she walked into her room. She was feeling exultant. She packed up the few clothes she had and set out her bow. She would probably be using it to kill the troll. Aila heard her door creak open, and she turned to see Kathryn walking in. "Hey," she said as she shut the door.

Aila didn't bother responding. She threw herself at Kathryn, wrapping her arms around her and kissed her. Kathryn gladly kissed her back. "I missed you," Aila said when they broke apart.

"I never went anywhere," Kathryn said, chuckling.

"I know, but I've been irritated all morning, and I just wanted to hold you."

They decided not to tell anyone about their relationship. They didn't know how people would react, and frankly, they didn't want to find out. Aela was the only one who knew. She promised not to tell, as long as Aila didn't let on that she knew about The Companions' secret. She warned them, though, that the other lycanthropes would likely find out, sooner or later. They could "smell the lust between you two," as Aela put it.

"Well," Kathryn said, "I missed you too."

Aila smiled. She could feel Kathryn's arms around her waist. It was nice. She stood on her toes and kissed her again. When she pulled back she was frowning. "What is it?" Kathryn asked.

"It's awfully hard to kiss you from here," she said.

Kathryn laughed. "Then let me make it easier." She pulled Aila to an empty bed and laid her down. Then she laid next to her and pulled her into her arms, so that they could kiss with ease. "How's that?"

"Much better."

The next few minutes mostly consisted of kisses, snuggles, and cuddles. Aila couldn't be happier. She had no idea where her irritation from earlier came from, but she was glad it was gone. She was with Kathryn, and she had finally gotten a job. _Speaking of which..._

"You'll be coming with me on my job, right?" Aila asked.

"Of course I will."

"Good. How hard do you think it would be to kill a troll?"

"Using a bow? Well... I suppose if you aim right, you could kill it in one hit."

"Do you think I could aim well enough?"

"You'd certainly do better than I would."

"You could probably kill it with magic though, couldn't you?"

"I might take a couple hits, but I probably could," Kathryn said. "This is your job, though, not mine. You have to kill it."

"I know, I will, but first we have to find it."

"That can't be too hard. We could..." she paused. "I think someone's coming."

Kathryn and Aila uncoupled and assumed as inconspicuous poses as they could. Sure enough, a few moments later the door handle turned, and in came Vilkas. At first, Aila wondered how Kathryn knew he was coming, but then she remembered that Kathryn was a werewolf. She would have to get used to her noticing things that Aila didn't. "Oh, hey Vilkas," Kathryn said.

"I'm not intruding, am I?

"No, not at all. We were just talking about Aila's job." It wasn't a complete lie.

"Yes, well, I just wanted to congratulate you. Not many people can beat me."

"Thanks," Aila said.

"How did you do it, anyway? I don't really remember."

"Honestly, neither do I. It all happened so fast, and I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing."

"I saw it," Kathryn said. "You were moving incredibly fast, Aila. One moment you were blocking his blade, the next you were behind him, and he was on the ground."

"Was it really that fascinating?"

"It was more than fascinating."

"You don't seem to realize how rare it is for me to lose," Vilkas said. "The fact that you did means a lot. You're stronger than you know."

"I don't feel strong," Aila said. "How could I be when I can barely pick up a sword?"

"There's more to strength than how much you can carry." And with that, he took his leave.

"He's right, you know," Kathryn said.

"I don't know..."

"Hey," Kathryn cupped Aila's cheek with her hand. "Don't ever doubt yourself." She lent forward and gave her a long kiss. When she pulled away, Aila stared into her mesmerizing, silver eyes. "Okay?"

Aila nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

* * *

"Tell Karsten that she's ready," The woman said.

"_Geh, Regi,_" a voice responded. It was deep and guttural; not a human's. "I will tell him at once."

"Thank you, Deloth. And make sure it's weak. She's not that strong."

"Of course."

"Also, tell him to hurry. I don't think I can take the stench of werewolves any longer."

The voice made a strange rasping noise, that could only be laughter. "_Geh. Sosnakke ahrk mungrohikke dreh ni hilk._"

"No," the woman agreed. "We do not."

* * *

The next morning, Aila woke feeling refreshed with anticipation. The day had finally come for her to do her first job. Kathryn was going with her, as well. It would be at least a week before they reached Riften. That was a week with Kathryn, with no worrying about who was watching, or if they were alone. That was just as exciting. Aila slung her bow across her back and headed out. Kathryn was outside Jorrvaskr, waiting for her. When she saw her, Aila gave her a quick hug and a discreet kiss before heading down to the stables together. Aela was already there, along with two horses. As they neared, She called out to them. "Nice to see you finally made it. I was about to go and find you."

"We're not that late, are we?" Aila asked.

"You're late enough. Come on, let's get you saddled. The sooner you guys leave, the sooner you'll reach Riften."

"Are you that eager to be rid of us?" Kathryn said, feigning sorrow.

"Not at all." She lowered her voice. "I just thought you might like some... alone time."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Har har." She hopped onto her horse. "Seriously though, don't tell anyone. Just because you took it well doesn't mean others will. Some people can be very intolerant."

Aila struggled onto her horse as Aela said, "Don't worry, I won't. Now, go. There's a troll that needs killing."

Aila spurred her horse forward, following Kathryn. When they were a ways away Aila asked, "Do we really have to?"

Kathryn looked at her. "Have to what?"

"Hide. Do we really have to hide our relationship?"

Kathryn sighed. "No, we don't really have to. But... some people would be... they wouldn't like us."

"Why? Who are they to say who we can and can't love?"

"I don't know, Aila. This is Skyrim, home of the Nords, and you know how Nords are so fixed on tradition. The standard is one man, and one woman. If people found out about us, they would go berserk."

It was Aila's turn to sigh. "I hate having to hide."

"So do I."

The long hours of the day were filled with the riding of horses, while the nights were filled with kisses, to make up for the lost one while riding. One night, a few days into their journey, Aila decided to voice some questions that had been on her mind for a while. The had just set up their tent, and were about to go to bed when she said, "Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"Um... about you being a werewolf..."

"Oh." Kathryn seemed to tense a bit. This was obviously a sensitive subject. "What did you want to know?"

"Do you really turn into a wolf every full moon?"

"Only when both of them are."

"Both moons? That only happens once a year," Aila said.

"Yeah, for that much I'm grateful."

"You don't like being a werewolf, do you?"

"I hate it."

Aila found that depressing. What would it be like to live, all the while hating what you are? Aila pulled Kathryn to the ground and sat in her lap, wrapping her legs around her waist. "You shouldn't feel that way," she said. "Like it or not, it's part of who you are."

"I suppose so," Kathryn said. She reached up twirled a strand of Aila's hair.

Aila stared into her glimmering eyes. She remembered when her eyes had turned yellow. "Can you change on other days, not just when the moons are full?"

"Yes. I can actually do it whenever I want. I could even do it right now, if I wanted to. The moons just force the transformation."

"What are they like?" Aila asked. "The transformations."

She thought about it for a moment. Aila felt her shiver. It wasn't from the cold, she knew. Kathryn was never cold. "Painful," she said eventually. "There isn't a single thing more painful than when I have to turn."

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"Think about it, Aila. Your whole body is changing. Your bones are growing, shifting, bending and breaking. That doesn't happen painlessly."

Aila imagined Kathryn turning into a werewolf. She pictured her hunch over in agony, and screaming in pain. The thought frightened her. She laid her head on Kathryn's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not your fault."

They held each other for a while, before Kathryn suggested that she get some sleep. Aila reluctantly agreed and slipped inside the bedroll. Kathryn was about to climb in after her when she thought of one more question. "Have you always been a werewolf, Kat?"

She stopped suddenly. "No, I haven't."

"How did you become one, then?"

"It's... a long story."

"I want to know," Aila pressed gently. "Please?"

Kathryn looked at her softly. She was quiet for a long while. Finally, she let out a sigh. "Okay." She began to unlace the straps that held her tunic.

"What are you doing?" Aila asked. It was a puzzling, yet not entirely unwelcome sight.

She ignored her and slipped off her tunic, and Aila gasped. With her no coverings but her smallclothes, Aila could see why Kathryn had taken off her tunic. From her left hip, to just below her breast, were three long scars. It looked as if some great beast had slashed at Kathryn. Aila got the feeling that she wasn't far off. She ran her fingers along the scars. "When I was in my seventh year," Kathryn said, "I was walking through the woods one day, when I was attacked. This great beast of a wolf came running at me, and before I could even react, it clawed at me, and sent me to the ground. I tried to stand, but it bit me in the leg, and nearly tore it off."

"By the Gods Kat, that must have been horrible."

She nodded slightly. "I thought it was going to kill me. But then it suddenly stopped and howled, before running off."

"What did you do?"

"I crawled back to Riverwood. I don't know how close I was when Alvor found me. He took me to Delphine, since she had the most medical knowledge. I don't know what happened after that. All I know is that I woke three days later with these scars, and silver eyes."

"Gods, Kathryn that's... that's just..."

Kathryn placed her finger on her lips, silencing her. "You don't have to say anything."

So instead, she kissed her. Aila pulled Kathryn into the bedroll with her, and held her close. She could feel her smooth, warm skin against her body. She gave Kathryn a kiss, light and quick. Then she gave another, longer one. Kathryn, apparently, did not like being teased, and after the second one, gave a kiss of her own. She kissed her long and amorously. Aila moaned in pleasure. This was paradise. All she could ever want was right here, next to her. So what was that feeling dread growing inside her?

Aila pulled away from Kathryn. "Wait," she said.

Kathryn looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just... It's probably nothing." Aila peeked out of the tent and looked around. The stars were twinkling in the sky, and the moons were as bright as ever, taking up a quarter of the sky. She could see the silhouettes of trees around them and could hear the chirping of crickets. There was nothing. Aila crawled back to Kathryn and tried to ignore the feeling in her gut.

"What were you looking for?" Kathryn asked.

Aila shook her head. "I don't know, just... something."

"There are no bears or anything out there."

"I know, but... oh, forget it." Aila resumed kissing Kathryn, trying to take her mind off the strange feeling, but it kept getting stronger. Aila pulled away again, and this time she climbed completely out of the tent and looked around again. Kathryn followed shortly after, with her tunic back on.

"Aila, what is it?"

"I don't know. I just feel like... like something's coming."

"There's nothing out there."

Aila looked anyways. It seemed like she was right. The feeling wouldn't go away, though. "Aila, come back in the tent," Kathryn said.

Aila sighed. "Okay."

She had only taken a couple of steps when she heard it. It was very faint, yet unmistakable. Kathryn heard it too. "What was that?" she asked. Aila felt tears start to form in her eyes. She knew _exactly _what it was. It came again, much louder this time. Kathryn noticed her tears. "Aila? Why are you crying? What is it? " her voice was full of concern. It came once more, louder than ever. Aila covered her ears against the deafening roar that filled the skies. Aila saw it in the air, beating its massive wings to keep in aloft.

"It's a dragon," she said, her voice shaking with fear.


	10. 9: Komidrot

Komidrot

Aila hoped the dragon would fly past them, that it would not see them in the dark, but she had no such luck. It was as if it was looking for them. It flew straight towards them, and landed not five feet away. The ground shook as it touched down, and Aila would have fallen had Kathryn not caught her. Aila stared at the dragon, and it seemed stared back at her. It was not the black dragon she had seen at Helgen. This one was much smaller, and it had no spikes. It's scales were bronze coloured and smooth, unlike the black dragon's jagged ones. It opened its mouth, and Aila flinched, thinking it was about to spout fire, but instead it spoke.

"_Drem yol lok, fahliil. Thuri Karsten hind hi mul. Hi los wah kuz sili, waan hi vis. Zu'u fen ni krif vothni grav._"

Aila thought she must be dreaming. A dragon had not just landed in front of them and started speaking to them. It was impossible. Yet here it was. All Aila could do was gawk at it. It was Kathryn who was able to speak. "Who... who are you?" she asked. "What do you want?"

The dragon blinked at her. "_Zu'u Komidrot. Zu'u laan wah aam Thuri._"

Aila could feel her shaking. She couldn't blame her, Aila was shaking as well. Anyone would in their situation. Kathryn spoke again. "We... We can't understand you."

The dragon made a low rumbling sound. "Then I will make this simple," it said. It turned its head and looked at Aila. "You will fight, or you will die". It took to the skies.

"Aila, get your bow," Kathryn said.

"What? No, we need to run!"

"We can't."

"Why not? We can just get on the horses and..."

"Look." Aila looked where she was pointing. The horses were running away. "They got loose somehow. We can't outrun a dragon."

"But... but..."

The dragon let out a roar. Aila saw it coming fast. It opened its mouth. "_YOL_"

Kathryn pushed her aside just as it flew past them, spewing flames where they had just been a few moments ago. "Aila, get your bow!" Kathryn said again.

"We can't fight a dragon! We can't!"

"Aila, you need to calm down. We don't have any other option."

Aila tried to get her breathing under control. She nodded "Okay."

The dragon flew towards them again and hovered above them. "_Krif! Uv los hi rem nivahriin?_"

"Run!" Kathryn yelled.

Aila ran for the tent as fast as she could and grabbed her bow. She slung the quiver across her back and ran back out. Kathryn was throwing an ice spike at the dragon. She had good aim, but it simply bounced off its scales. When Kathryn saw her she yelled, "Shoot it!"

Aila nocked an arrow and took aim. Her hand were sweaty and shaky, and when she fired, she was far from close. The dragon noticed her shot, and turned its head toward her. "_YOL_"

A fireball came hurtling at Aila. She tried to dive out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough. It hit her in the leg, and Aila yelled out in pain as it burned. Kathryn took the chance to throw another ice spike at it. This time it hit the soft membrane of the dragon's wings. It pierced through, and the dragon roared. It staggered for a moment before regaining its balance and turned its attention to Kathryn.

Aila took a deep breath and nocked another arrow. She pulled back and aimed carefully. She fired and the arrow went straight through the dragons other wing. The smaller arrows left smaller hole than Kathryn's ice spikes, but every little bit counted. Aila quickly nocked some more arrows, her hands shaking all the while, and fired them, and each one left a hole in the dragon's wings. It snarled in pain, and Aila could see it struggling to keep aloft. As two more ice spikes pierced its wings, they couldn't support the dragon any more, and it went down.

The ground shook from the force of the dragon's crash landing. Aila saw Kathryn draw her sword and run at it. When she swung, however, the sword only bounced off its scales, just at her ice spike had. The dragon snarled at her. "Thuri Karsten lost nid nuft fah hi, mungrohiik." it said, and raised its wing and swatted Kathryn down.

"Kathryn!" Aila screamed. Suddenly, all her fears melted away. She ignored the pain in her leg and nocked an arrow. The dragon turned its head at her, and Aila saw what she had to do. It's scales were too thick to penetrate. She pulled back and fired. It threw its head back and let out a thundering roar as the arrow pierced its eye. Aila dropped her bow and ran for the dragon. As she picked up the sword Kathryn had dropped, the dragon's tail lashed out and whipped her in the chest, sending her to the ground. She stood back up despite her body's intense protest and picked up the sword again. The dragon was roaring, so Aila swung at it, only to get its attention. The blade bounced off its scales just as always, but the dragon looked at her and growled. It opened its jaws. "YOL"

As the flames filled the dragon's mouth, Aila stabbed at it. The blade went through the roof of it mouth and sprouted out the dragon's head. The flames died away as the dragon did. Aila let go of the sword and pulled her hand out of the dragon's mouth. She winced and looked at her hand. It covered in burns. She suddenly realized how tired she was. It didn't matter. She was too worried about Kathryn to care about herself. "Kathryn!" Aila ran to her. She was struggling to stand when she reached her. Aila helped her up. "Are you okay?"

"Me? What about you? How can you even move?"

Aila looked down at herself. Her hand and her leg was burned, and her ribs were most likely broken. Her arm hurt the most, though. When she looked, she saw blood flowing from a circular wound. One of the dragon's teeth must have punctured her arm when she stabbed it. She was in pain. A lot of pain. But all that would only worry Kathryn. She clutch her arm and said, "I'm fine."

"Fine?" Kathryn said, incredulous. "You are not fine. We need to get you to a healer. Come on, let's..." She stopped and stared at the dead dragon.

"What?" Aila asked.

"Something's happening."

"What is?" She looked at the dragon and saw for herself.

Its flesh was burning away. As its scales melted, a light emerged from within the dragon. The light suddenly rushed towards Aila. It swirled around her for a moment, and then seeped into her skin. Aila suddenly felt better. Her chest stopped hurting. She looked at her arm and saw her burns fading away, and the wound closing up. By the time the dragon's flesh burned away, leaving nothing but bones, Aila had been completely healed. Aila could hear words echoing through her mind. They weren't her words, though, they were the dragons. The dragons last thoughts. _Zu'u dir ko ahmik wah Thuri. _Stranger still, Aila understood the words. _I die in service to my overlord._

Overlord. At the word, Aila saw a man. His hair was black as ink, and his eyes were the color of charcoal. His face was slim and pale. Aila saw him, and felt all of what the dragon felt about him. Ancient and young. Weak, but strong. One, yet many. And above all, eternal.

He faded from her mind as soon as he came. Aila realized Kathryn was calling her name. "Aila? Aila? Are you alright?"

Aila shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well, you wounds are gone. Are you sure your alright? I... I don't know what just happened."

"Neither do I. I feel fine, though. Great, actually." She felt better than ever. Stronger than ever.

"Well, if you insist."

Aila looked at the dragon skeleton. "What do we do now?"

"I... I'm not sure. The horses are gone, and all our stuff has turned to ash."

Aila sighed "This can't get much worse."

"Hey." Kathryn pulled Aila close and wrapped her arms around her. "At least we're still alive."

They stood silently for a moment, wrapped in each others arms. "I wonder what that dragon was saying earlier." Kathryn said after a while.

"I think... I think some on sent it after us."

"What? How could someone command a dragon? And why would they send it after us?"

"I don't know, but after the dragon burned I saw something."

Aila told her about her vision. "So you think this man sent the dragon after us? Why?" Kathryn asked.

Aila shook her head. "I don't know."

Kathryn thought for a while. "Well, it makes no matter. What does, it that we have no food, no gold, and no horses."

"How far are we from Riften?" Aila asked.

"On horseback, about a two days. I'm not sure how long on foot."

"Well, we're not going to get anywhere just standing here."

"No," Kathryn agreed, "we're not." And they started walking.


	11. 10: Riften

Riften

"Are we going to talk about what happened?" Kathryn asked.

"There's nothing to talk about." Aila replied.

"You killed a dragon, Aila. I'd say that's something to talk about."

"It... I didn't do anything, really."

Kathryn looked at her in wonder. "Why do you keep refusing to acknowledge how strong you really are?"

"Because I'm not," Aila said. "I'm not some great warrior, or mage. I'm no one special. I'm just some orphan girl."

"Aila..." Kathryn held her hand up to Aila's cheek. "You're special to me."

Aila leaned forward and rested her forehead on Kathryn's. "Kat?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Aila saw her smile. "I love you too."

That made her feel a bit better. She needed hear that. She had been feeling very insecure about herself lately. Ever since she killed the dragon she felt like something was different. She just didn't know what. She refused to talk about the actual killing of the dragon, despite Kathryn's inquisitions. She didn't have much recollection of doing it. It was as if she had acted entirely on impulse, which is exactly what happened.

They had reached Riften the night before, after four long days of walking. The only things they were able to salvage from the dragon attack was Aila's bow, and Kathryn's sword, though they had to pry it out of the dragon's skull. Everything else had burned. They walked into the city tired and hungry, but they had no money to pay for food or a bed, so they slept outside with empty bellies. It wasn't so bad for Aila; she was used to being hungry. Kathryn took it rather hard, though. She wasn't used to not having any way to get food.

The next day, they wandered around the city, trying to figure out what to do. Originally, they had come to kill a frost troll, but it didn't look like that was possible now. They looked for other jobs they could do, but no one had the gold to hire them even if they wanted to. Eventually, after a few hours of looking, they stopped and rested by a shrine of Talos. Kathryn had decided to try and ask Aila what she did to kill the dragon again. She had only seen part of it.

Now they were simply resting. Aila was quietly laying on Kathryn's shoulder with her eyes closed. She must have drifted off to sleep, because she was suddenly woken by a voice.

"Running a light in the pockets, eh lass?"

Aila lifted her head and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and saw someone standing in front of them. A tall Nord man, with brown hair and a thin beard.

"Our wealth is none of your business," Kathryn said.

"Oh, but that's were you're wrong. Wealth is my business. Maybe you'd like a taste?" He had a very strange accent.

"What do you mean?"

"You see, my names Brynjolf. I have a bit of an errand to preform, and I need some extra hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well paid."

"What do you want us to do?" Kathryn asked.

"Well, that depends. Do either of you know how to use a lockpick?"

"What? A lockpick? No, of course not, we're not thieves."

"Oh. Well then, never mind. I'll just..."

"Um, actually," Aila interjected, "I do."

Kathryn stared at her. "You know how to lockpick?" Aila nodded "Where did you learn that?"

"It's... a long story. I'll tell you later." She turned to Brynjolf. "What was it you wanted?"

"It's quite simple, really. I'm going to cause a distraction, and you're going to steal the Argonian Madesi's silver ring from a strongbox under his stand. Once you have it, you're going to plant it on the Dark Elf Brand-Shei. Think you can handle it?"

"Wait, we're not actually going to do this are we?" Kathryn asked. "We're not thieves."

"We do need gold," Aila stated.

"Aye," Brynjolf said, "and there'll be plenty of it, if you do this."

"I don't know..." Kathryn said.

"Well, I'll be in the market all day, so meet me there if you make up your mind." Brynjolf turned and walked away.

That was when Kathryn turned on her. "Okay, so tell me where you learned to lockpick."

Aila shrugged. "I've known how since I was a child."

"Who taught you?"

"I taught myself."

"Why?"

"Well... That's a bit... How much do you know about my past?" Aila asked.

Kathryn thought for a moment. "Not much actually."

"There isn't a lot to tell, and I don't really like talking about it... You know I've been to The Imperial City?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's where I grew up. The very first memory I have is waking up in an alleyway."

"Didn't you live in an orphanage, or something?" Kathryn asked.

Aila shook her head. "No. I grew up in the streets. I didn't know who I was, or how I even got there. I didn't have any gold or anything. I would beg for food or gold, but most people just ignored me, and there was scarcely a time when I wasn't hungry." The memory made her sad. "Sometimes, when I was especially hungry, I would steal food." Kathryn was listening intently. "Some food vendors would keep their food in glass cases to help keep it fresh. They usually had the best food. Lockpicks were surprisingly easy to find, and I taught myself to open locks, so I could get it. That's really all there is to my past."

"How did you end up in Skyrim?" Kathryn asked.

"I got caught. I thought the guards would just throw me in jail. I didn't think that would be too bad, I mean they do feed you every day, but they put me in a carriage and shipped me off to Skyrim. I don't know why. After long hours of riding, I ended up in... Helgen."

"And then you escaped, and you made it to Riverwood." Kathryn said. "And to me."

Aila nodded. "My life didn't really begin until I met you."

"I guess it's a good thing you got caught." Kathryn said, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Aila smiled back.

"Wait," Kathryn said, "Who gave you your name?"

Aila's smile grew. "I picked it out myself. Do you like it?"

Kathryn leaned in close, so that their lips were nearly touching. "I love it."

"Thank you."

"Anytime." She locked her lips with Aila's, and gave her a long kiss.

They broke apart at the sound of a rumbling stomach. Whose, they could not say, it may have been both of theirs. "Let's do the job, Kat," Aila said, holding her belly.

Kathryn was holding her own. "I don't know, we'd be breaking the law."

"We really need the gold. We could finally get something to eat. Besides, you wouldn't really have to do anything. I'd be the one who does the lockpicking."

She was silent for a long while. Finally she sighed. "Alright."

Aila stood, pulling Kathryn up with her. They walked to the market in the middle of the city, where they found Brynjolf waiting for them. When they approached, he said, "Ready to make some coin?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Kathryn said.

"Good. Here are some lockpicks. Wait until I start the distraction, and then show me what you're made of."

Aila held the lockpicks and moved back a bit as Brynjolf started the distraction. "Everyone! Everyone! Gather 'round," he said. "I have something amazing to show you that demands your attention!"

People stopped to hear what he had to say. Aila saw an Argonian who must be Madesi leave his stall.

"Gather 'round all!"

"Come on," Aila whispered to Kathryn. She walked to Madesi's stall and knelt behind it. "Make sure no one is watching."

Aila heard a Dark Elf say, "Come on Brynjolf... what is it this time?"

She tried to slide open the door on the stall, but it was locked. She slipped a lockpick into the lock. "I haven't done this in forever."

"Just hurry up." Kathryn said

"Patience Brand-Shei. This is a rare opportunity, and I wouldn't want you to get left out."

Aila turned the lock slowly, so as not to break the lockpick. When she felt pressure on it, she let loose a bit, moved the pick slightly, and tried again. It clicked open. Aila made a silent cheer as she slid open the door.

The Argonian spoke. "That's what you said about the wisp essence, and it turned out to be crushed nirnroot mixed with water!"

Aila tried to open the strongbox within, but that was locked as well.

"A simple misunderstanding." Brynjolf said. "This item is the real thing. Lads and lasses, I give you Falmerblood elixir!"

She put in the lockpick, positioned it, and turned. She had almost unlocked when the pick suddenly snapped in half. "Damn it," she muttered.

"Hurry." Kathryn said.

"I know, I know."

She grabbed another pick and tried again.

"Oh come on, are you talking about the Snow Elves?"

"The one and only."

"Got it," Aila said as the lock opened. She looked inside and saw a number of valuables. There was gold, and an amethyst, as well as a silver ring. Aila took the ring and left the rest. She closed the strongbox and the sliding door and stood. She walk over to the crowd that gathered to listen to Brynjolf.

"Mystical being that live in legends and were masters of great magic. Imagine the power that coursed through their veins!"

Aila looked for the Dark Elf. There were three of them. Which one was it?

The Argonian spoke again. "How did you get that, then? No one has seen them in years!"

"My sources must remain a secret for their own protection, but I promise you the contents are genuine."

Which one? She should've asked before she started.

"One sip of the elixir and your wishes will be granted. Great wealth, everlasting life, or perhaps limitless power could be yours!"

"How much does it cost?" a Dark Elf asked.

"Only twenty septims! Easily affordable for one such as yourself, Brand-Shei."

Brand-Shei! So that was the one. And he was in the perfect place too. He was towards the back of the crowd, sitting on a pile of boxes. One could easily walk up behind him without anyone noticing. One such as Aila.

"Hurry now, before my supply is gone!"

"Don't listen to him, he's making this up!" the Argonian said.

Brand-Shei seemed to think differently. "I could get rich and stop selling trinkets," he muttered to himself. Aila slowly walked up behind him. His pocket was wide open. She held the ring out. All she had to do was drop it in. "I can't really afford it, but can I afford not to?" She let go. It fell straight into his pocket. He didn't even flinch. Aila looked over to Brynjolf and gave him a small nod.

"Well, I see my time is up. Come back tomorrow if you wish to buy."

The crowd dissipated with murmurs of both disappointment and annoyance. "What a waste of time." the Argonian said.

"Damn. I should have bought one while I had the chance." Brand-Shei said.

One every one had gone, Brynjolf came up to them. "Looks like I chose the right people for the job. And here you go..." He handed Aila a bloated coinpurse. "Your payment, just as I promised. The way things have been going around here, it's a relief that our plan went off without a hitch."

"What's been going on?" Aila asked.

"Bah. My organization's been having a run of bad luck. But, I suppose that's just how it goes. But never mind that, you did the job, and you did it well. Best of all, there's more were that came from... If you think you can handle it."

"More thieving?" Kathryn asked.

"Among other things. The group I represent makes its home in the Ratway beneath Riften. A tavern called The Ragged Flagon. Head there if you'd like to make some more coin. Oh by the way, I didn't catch your names."

"I'm Kathryn, and this is Aila."

He nodded and took his leave.

"You know I just realized something," Kathryn said.

"What?"

"You haven't stuttered at all since we've been here."

"Hey, you're right." Aila smiled. "This is turning out to be a good day." She threw the coinpurse to Kathryn. "Now let's go eat."

* * *

"So? Did she kill it?" He asked.

"Oh yes," the woman answered, "She most certainly did."

The man smiled. "_Pruzah._"

"There's more."

"_Fos?_"

"She knows of you. Komidrot was thinking of you when he died."

"How much does she know?"

"Not much. She knows what you look like, but that's about it."

"Hmm... She must not know who I am until she is strong enough. This will make it more difficult to keep an eye on her."

"What about Damon?" the woman asked.

"_Zu'u vis dreh nid zuk._ We will simply have to wait for the right moment to give it to him. Just as we will for Aila."

"The moment may not come for a long while."

"_Drem._ I have waited for tens of thousands of years to defeat Alduin. I can wait a bit longer."

"I will wait with you, Karsten. As ever."

"And I shall always be grateful, _lokali._"


	12. 11: Enamoured

Enamoured

Aila laid down in the bed and curled up next to Kathryn. "Why not?" she asked.

"I don't feel comfortable with stealing." Kathryn answered.

"I know, but look how much we got out of it. We bought a huge meal and rented a bed, and we still have a bunch left."

"But we'd be_ thieves. _Do you want to got to jail?"

"No, of course not." Aila said.

"Well, you sure seem to be heading that way. Why do you want to go so badly, anyway?

Aila bit her lip. "Kat... I have a small confession to make."

"What?"

"I told you that I used to steal food, but what I didn't tell you is that I had a lot of fun doing it... and I had a lot of fun stealing that ring."

Kathryn gaped at her. "You had fun doing that?"

Aila nodded. "It was exhilarating. The possibility of getting caught made it so exciting. And the gold's nice too."

"Well... the gold is nice. I don't know if I could do it, though. You did all the work then, I didn't do anything, really."

"If we do go, we could easily make enough gold to get into the College of Winterhold," Aila said, trying to persuade her. Aila saw a twinkle in those gorgeous silver eyes of hers. She was considering it.

"We could still do that with The Companions, though," she said.

"Kathryn, let's face it. We are not warriors. You're a mage, and I'm a... well... not a warrior. We'd be better off elsewhere."

"As thieves?"

"Maybe."

Kathryn was silent for a long while. Aila could tell she could see the possibilities, but the thought of being a thief gave her pause. "I'll think about it. Just get some sleep for now, it's late."

"Oh, but I'd much rather stay up with you," Aila purred.

Kathryn simpered at her. "If you insist. But don't blame me when you wake in the morning feeling weary."

"I think it'll be worth it." Aila leaned in close and locked her lips with Kathryn's. She let out a moan as Kathryn wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. She suddenly realized that Kathryn was undoing the straps on her tunic. It wasn't until they were all undone that she did anything about it, though. She put a hand on Kathryn's chest and pulled away slightly. "Wait," she said.

Kathryn looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Aila put a finger on her lips, cutting her off. "It's alright." She crawled on top of Kathryn, letting her tunic fall to the side. "I've already seen you without your shirt, it's only fair you see me without mine." Kathryn stared at her lustfully. Even though she still had her smallclothes on, Aila felt naked in front of her. It made her blush, but she didn't try and conceal herself. Kathryn laid a hand on Aila's hip and slowly moved it up her side, sending a shiver down Aila's spine. When she reached her chest, Aila grabbed her hand, and kissed it lightly. "But for it to truly be fair, you'd need to wear the same."

Kathryn smiled as she sat up slightly, bringing her lips just inches from Aila's. "Mind helping me out of them?"

Aila slipped her hands under Kathryn's tunic and felt her warm skin underneath. "Not at all." She pulled it up over Kathryn's head and threw it to the side. She felt Kathryn's scars with her hand. "Aren't there more on your leg?" she asked. Kathryn nodded. "Can I see them?"

She nodded again and Aila crawled off her as she kicked off her trousers. When they were gone, Aila gave a sad sigh. This scar was even worse than the one on her side. Most of her thigh was covered in teeth marks. It looked as if a bear had chewed on her, only it was a werewolf. Aila lightly ran her hand along her thigh and looked up at Kathryn. As she stared into her gleaming eyes, she suddenly realized just how much clothes they were wearing. Or rather, how much they weren't. With almost nothing between them, Aila could especially feel the heat radiating from her. Her skin felt almost hot. If she didn't know better, she would think Kathryn had a fever. Aila knew, however, that her warmth was just a side effect of her lycanthropy, and in the cold lands of Skyrim, her warmth was comforting.

"Aila?" Kathryn asked her suddenly.

"Yes?"

"What happened to being fair?"

Aila's mouth twisted into a grin. She moved back and laid her legs across Kathryn. "If you want my pants gone so much, then take them." she said playfully.

Kathryn smiled and obliged with delight. Now they were both almost completely naked, something which had never happened before. It made Aila's heart race, but she did her best to keep a calm demeanor. Kathryn wasn't fooled, though. "I can hear your heart from here." she said.

Aila placed a hand on Kathryn's chest. "You're one to talk." Hers was beating as fast as Aila's.

"With a body like yours, can you really blame me?"

Aila couldn't help but laugh at her comment. "Mine? Look at yours. You have the perfect body." She felt down Kathryn's body as she talked. "Long legs, slender arms, flat stomach..." she paused for a moment when she reached her chest. "... big breasts."

Now it was Kathryn's turn to laugh. "You like my breasts?"

"I love everything about you, Kat. Your breasts are just an added bonus."

Kathryn smirked at her. "One could say the same about yours."

"I don't think so."

"And why not?"

"You saw why, mine are tiny. I might as well not have any."

"Oh, please."

"Did you not see?" Aila asked. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She had no doubt that Kathryn could hear it, but even so, she tried to keep her voice as steady as possible. "Perhaps you need a better look?" She started fumbling with the straps on her smallclothes. Once they were untied, she slowly pulled them away, exposing her small breasts to the cold air and to Kathryn.

Aila could see the desire in Kathryn's eyes as she undressed. Kathryn slid her hand along Aila's body, eventually reaching her breast. Her thumb lightly brushed across her nipple, causing Aila to gasp softly. "You truly are beautiful, Aila," Kathryn said.

Aila smiled at her compliment. "Thank you," she said, before giving her the longest, wettest, and most sensual kiss as of yet.

In keeping with the theme of fairness, Kathryn removed her own smallclothes, with a little help from Aila. Soon she was naked, and Aila couldn't help but ogle her. She was so beautiful. Her skin was tan and smooth, and Aila felt jealous of her breasts. They were so big in comparison to her own. But her eyes... Aila still found her eyes the most beautiful part of her. Those wondrous, glossy, glimmering, sliver eyes of hers, that seemed to glow in the dark.

Aila was almost as naked as Kathryn. Almost. There was still a little of her smallclothes left, however they were soon gone as well. As Aila slid them from her legs, Kathryn positioned herself over her and kissed her once more. While they kissed, Kathryn moved her hand down Aila's body. She pulled apart her legs, a pace that the Aila found frustratingly slow. She knew why Kathryn was moving so slow, though. This was the first time they had done this, and Aila knew Kathryn was watching for a sign. A sign for her to stop, that she had gone too far, but Aila was heartily inclined to let her continue.

When Kathryn received no such sign, she moved her hand to Aila's more sensitive regions. Aila gasped as she softly massaged the sweet-spot between her legs. Her gasps soon escalated into moans as Kathryn moved her fingers faster. Aila was usually a well-mannered woman, and she didn't like to swear much, but when Kathryn thrust a finger inside her, she couldn't help herself. "Oh, fuck..." she moaned. Kathryn smiled at her and continued the repeated motion of her hand. Aila was starting wonder if she had died and gone to Sovngarde. This had been a dream of hers for a long while, but now it was finally happening, and it felt better than she could ever have imagined. She tried to keep her voice at a reasonable level, but that was growing exceedingly difficult as time went on. Every movement of Kathryn's hands sent waves of pleasure throughout her body.

Aila stared Kathryn's glistening, silver eyes. She had been focusing on her hands, but when Kathryn noticed her looking, she smiled at her. "Having fun?" Aila was too breathless to answer, so instead, she nodded. "Good." Kathryn added another finger. Aila barely managed to stifle an involuntary scream. The extra girth made her feel twice as good. Aila didn't think she could last much longer. As the pressure built up inside her, she felt her body begin to contract. Kathryn felt it too. She took it as a cue to intensify her efforts.

Finally it was too much, and Aila began to scream in ecstasy. She didn't even try to muffle herself. She was past caring. All that mattered in that moment was her and Kathryn. After what seemed like hours, Kathryn removed her hand, and Aila collapsed under her, feeling too weak to move. Kathryn laid next to her, gently stroking Aila's side. Aila felt her eyelids grow heavy. How late was it? She managed a weak smile. "Let's... do that again... sometime."

Kathryn laughed. "Anything you want, love."


	13. 12: The Dirty Work

The Dirty Work

Aila was starting to feel the effects of going to sleep late. She was constantly yawning, and she was have trouble concentrating. She didn't regret staying up so late, though. Last night was the best night of her life. She had always wondered how it would feel, doing something like that, and now she knew. She was glad she had done it with Kathryn.

Aila blamed it on her tiredness when she tripped. Normally, tripping isn't so bad; you fall down and get right back up, but when you're at the top of a staircase, the situation tends to be a bit more dire. If Kathryn wasn't there to stop her from falling, she may very well have broken her neck. "Whoa," Kathryn said as she caught her, "Careful."

"Oh Gods Kat, thank you," Aila said. Her breaths were short and rapid from the sudden adrenaline rush.

"Well, you didn't expect me to just let you fall, did you?"

"No, of course not. But still, thank you."

"No problem."

Aila probably would have kissed her right then, but they were outside, and people were watching. She settled for a short hug. Afterward, they descended the stairs Aila had nearly fallen down. She was no longer feeling tired.

Riften had two levels, the upper level, and the lower level. The upper level was mostly made up of shops and inns. There was also the Jarl's palace and a temple a Mara. The lower level was mostly residential. There were some shops down there as well, but only a couple. But most importantly for Aila and Kathryn, the lower level was where the Ratway was found.

After many attempts, Aila had finally managed to convince Kathryn to go meet Brynjolf with her. Brynjolf had told them he could be found at The Ragged Flagon in the Ratway, and after some asking around, they found that the entrance was in the lower level. They had to take the stairs to get down there, which is where Aila nearly fell. Once there, they came to a gate. It was unlocked, so they opened it and headed inside. There was a small tunnel that ended at a door. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Kathryn asked before they entered.

"Yes, I'm sure." Aila said.

Kathryn sighed. "Okay." She pulled open the door and shut it closed behind them.

They were greeted by darkness. Aila could barely see her hands in front of her. I wasn't completely dark, though, she could see light off in the distance. "I can't see anything," Aila said.

"Just hold on to me," Kathryn told her. Evidently, she could see much better than her in the dark. Aila put that down as a benefit to being a lycanthrope. She held on to Kathryn as they slowly made their way across the darkness. Suddenly, Kathryn stopped.

"What is it?" Aila asked.

"I think I hear someone." She answered. Aila strained her ears. Sure enough, she heard a faint whispering. It was slowly getting louder, and soon Aila could hear what it said.

"I dunno, Drahff. They'd skin us alive if they knew they were doin' this." said a gruff voice.

"Why are always acting like such a baby?" said another voice. "I've gotten us this far."

"This far? We're livin' in a sewer. You said we'd have a house as big as the Black-Briars' by now."

Aila heard an irritated sigh. " You worry about bashing people's heads in, I'll worry about the guild. Okay?" the second voice said. Aila was beginning to feel nervous. This couldn't be good.

"Okay, okay," said the first voice.

"Good. Now come on, let's go check the Ratway entrance."

Kathryn pulled her somewhere even more dark than where they were. "Stay still," she said.

Aila watched quietly as the light she saw grew bigger. When it was close, she saw the source of the light was a torch, held by one of two men approaching. As they neared, Aila was also able to see that Kathryn and her were hidden in an alcove, one of many along a long corridor. The two men past them, oblivious to their presence. When they were well past, Kathryn pulled her forward. "Come on," she whispered. "Quietly."

They sneaked past the men, and continued down to corridor. It was dark again, and Aila had to rely on Kathryn to see for her. They stopped when they came to a sudden drop. The corridor ended abruptly, and there were only two ways for them to go. Turn around and go back, or jump down. Unlike the corridor, the room below was well lit, and Aila could see a door that led to... somewhere. The drop down wasn't too far. They could easily land with no problems. "Looks like this is the only way down," Kathryn said.

"Yeah..." Aila said.

"Well, come on." She sat down on the edge an slid off. She landed on the ground with a soft _thump. _When she noticed Aila hadn't followed, she called out to her. "Aila? Come on."

"Um... right. Coming." She sat down and got ready to slide down. She hesitated.

"Aila?" Kathryn called again. "Hurry, before those men come back."

"Just... just give me a moment." She tried to jump. She tried again. Her body didn't want to move.

Kathryn seemed to realize what was happening. "Aila, it's not that far. Just jump."

"I'm trying."

"There's no reason to be scared. Here," she held out her arms. "I'll catch you."

Aila took a deep breath and let it out. She closed her eyes and pushed herself off the edge. She felt the brief, but terrifying sensation of falling before landing in Kathryn's arms. When she opened her eyes, she was looking into Kathryn's beautiful gleaming eyes "There," Kathryn said. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Aila shook her head. "I guess not." She smiled at a thought that popped into her head. "Besides, I'd fall for you any day."

Kathryn laughed at that. "Alright lovergirl, let's just keep moving," she said as she set Aila to her feet.

Aila nodded and followed Kathryn to the door. She was about to open it when Kathryn stopped her. "Wait," she said. "Look." She pointed to the bottom right of the door. "It's trapped."

There was a small string attached to the door. Aila never would have noticed it. "How do we get past?" Aila asked.

Kathryn thought about it for a moment. "Well, there's no other way through. Here, stand back."

Aila took a few steps back as Kathryn drew her sword. Standing as far away as possible, she held it out and cut the string with the tip. Aila yelped as three spikes suddenly sprang out of the doorway. If Kathryn had not seen the string, they would have been impaled. The spikes receded, and Kathryn carefully stepped toward the door. She grabbed the door handle, turned it, and pushed it open. What they found was more darkness. Light from the room they were just in seeped into the new one, but not much. "Aila," Kathryn said. "Be very, very careful here."

"Why?"

"There are bear traps everywhere. Stay right next to me."

"Okay," Aila said. Losing a foot was definitely not a thought that appealed to her.

They moved very slowly. While Kathryn could still see, she could not see well, and Aila couldn't at all. Kathryn wouldn't move unless she was _absolutely _sure there was no trap beneath them. They had finally gotten past all the traps when they reached a wall, and a door. When Kathryn opened it, Aila squinted as they were bombarded with light. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw that there was a staircase leading up to room. They climbed up and saw that the room had two paths. On path was blocked off by some sort of wooden wall, and the other was a door. There was a lever next to the path that was blocked off. Kathryn walked toward it and grabbed it. "Be careful, Kat." Aila said. "It might be trapped."

Kathryn smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm always careful." She pulled down the lever and took a few steps back. No spikes emerged from anywhere. Instead, the wooden wall began to shake, and then it fell down. I landed on a platform across from a pit, acting as a bridge. Kathryn took a few cautious steps and walk out onto it. She stopped half-way through. "Wait, a minute... we were just here." she said.

"What do you mean?" Aila asked.

"Come here, look." Kathryn said. When she walked out onto the bridge, Aila saw she was right. "See look, that's where we jumped down, and that's the corridor we entered in." She pointed to the other side of the bridge. It definitely looked like where they came in. When Aila looked down, she saw the room they were in just a little while ago. The door that had been trapped was down there as well.

"That's odd." Aila said.

"Yeah... guess we'll have to go the other way."

They turned around and headed for the passage with the door. Kathryn swung it open, and they saw it led to a large room. It was circular, with a round pool of water in the middle. Aila also noticed that there was faint odor in the air. It was a bad smell, but manageable. Kathryn on the other hand, looked as if she was about to vomit. She covered her nose with her hand and gagged. "Oh Gods," she said, "what is that smell?"

"I think it's sewage," Aila said. "We must be in the sewers."

"Great. Just my luck."

"It doesn't smell _that _bad."

"Maybe not for you."

"Oh, right." Aila had nearly forgotten.

"Come on, let's get this over with."

They walked around the edge of the pool of sewer water, and they saw that at the other end of the room was some kind of tavern. There were tables and a bar. When they got closer, Aila saw a sign that read _ The Ragged Flagon. _They had made it. It was a lot harder getting here than she thought it would be. She would never have made it without Kathryn. When they got to the tavern, Aila caught sight of Brynjolf walking toward them. "Well, well. Colour me impressed, lasses. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come."

"You can thank Aila for that." Kathryn said. She was still covering her nose, so her voice came out weird. "She convinced me to go."

Brynjolf looked at her. "I know this place doesn't smell too great, but it's not that bad."

"Hmph."

"She has a sensitive nose," Aila offered.

"Well, no matter. Down to business."

"What do you want us to steal this time?" Kathryn asked. Aila couldn't help but snicker at the way her voice sounded.

"No stealing, not this time. A few deadbeats owe our organization some serious coin, and they've decided not to pay. I want you to explain to them the error of their ways."

"Sound's easy enough." Kathryn said. "Who are they?"

"Keerava, Bersi Honey-Hand, and Haelga."

"I know Keerava, she's the innkeeper, right? Who are the rest?"

"Bersi is the owner of The Pawned Prawn. Haelga runs the bunkhouse."

"Okay, I know where those are. How did you want me to deal with them?"

"Honestly, the debt is secondary here. What's more important is you get the message across that we aren't to be ignored. How you go about that is entirely up to you. If you're going after Bersi, though, the key to getting to him is in that ugly dwarven urn. Smash that thing to bits, and he'll relent. Haelga is a devout follower of Dibella and dotes over the statue to the Divine in her bunkhouse. Use that thing as leverage, and she'll cave. Finally, there's Keerava. She's a stubborn one, but she has a soft spot for family. Talk to Talen-jae. He'll tell you what you need to know."

"Alright then. Let's go Aila." Kathryn said. She seemed eager to get out of the sewers.

"One more thing. I want you to deal with them." He motioned toward Kathryn. "Since Aila here did most of the work on our last little scheme, I want you to do this one."

"Oh. Alright. Is that it?"

"Aye. Do this right, and I can promise you a permanent place in our organization."

"You keep saying that," Aila said. "What kind of organization steals from people and sends 'debt collectors' after people?" She made air quotes with her fingers as she said it.

Brynjolf smiled. "Come back with good news, and you'll find out."

Getting out of the Ratway was substantially easier than it was getting in. The bridge they had made led them right back to the entrance, and the two men that were there earlier were were gone. Once they were up-top, Aila and Kathryn got straight down to business. They went to Bersi Honey-Hand first. They walked inside the Pawned Prawn and were greeted politely by the man himself. "I have a message from Brynjolf," Kathryn told him.

"Uh... what? Oh. You're one of his thugs. So, Brynjolf can't even bother to come himself. What's the message?"

"Simple. You don't pay, bad things happen."

"Ha! Are you trying to scare me? I'm not a fool, I know what's been going on with you people. You threaten me when you can't even take care of yourselves."

"Enough of this. Are you going to pay or not?"

"You're not getting one rusty septim." Bersi said.

Kathryn sighed. "Shame." She walked over to an ornate dwarven urn, sitting on a shelf and rested her hand on it. "I quite liked this thing."

Bersi suddenly looked grave. "W-what are doing?"

"I told you already. You don't pay, bad things happen." She knocked the urn off the shelf, and it shattered as it hit the ground.

"No! That was priceless!"

"Anything else I can break?" Kathryn asked.

"No, Don't! Just... here!" He threw a coinpurse to Kathryn. "Just take it and go!"

"Much obliged."

They left him there with his broken treasure. Outside, Kathryn let out a long sigh. "So," Aila asked. "How was it?"

"How was what?"

"What you just did. How did you feel?"

"It was... interesting."

"Did you like it?"

"... Maybe."

Aila smiled. "You did, didn't you? You like to boss people around."

"I do not!" Kathryn said.

"Yes, you do. Admit it."

"Never."

"Fine. Deny it all you want, but you can't change the truth."

Kathryn grumbled. "Well, come on. We still have more people to see."

Next, they went to Haelga. She wasn't as polite as Bersi. "Who are you?" she asked (quite rudely) when they entered the bunkhouse. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a message from Brynjolf," Kathryn said.

Aila looked around the room. She couldn't see a statue of Dibella anywhere. If this went anything like the way it did with Bersi, Kathryn would need it. "Brynjolf?" Haelga said. "What does he want?"

Aila quietly stepped away and turned around the corner. Haelga didn't even notice her. Brynjolf said that Kathryn was to do this job, but he didn't say Aila couldn't help. She could still hear them talking while she searched the house. "I think you know what he wants," Kathryn was saying.

"Well you can tell Brynjolf that I'm not paying him a single rusty septim!"

_Found it._

"You know, Bersi said almost the exact same thing. That didn't turn out to well for him."

"I'm not Bersi. You're not getting anything out of me."

"Oh well," Kathryn said. Aila reappeared with the statue of Dibella in her hands. She handed it to Kathryn. "Maybe I should drop this down a well."

Haelga's face turned to one of pure horror. "No! Not Lady Dibella! Please, don't take her!"

"Oh? Have a change of heart?" Kathryn asked.

Haelga looked at them in utter resentment. "Fine!" she reached in her pocket and pulled out a coinpurse. "Here! I hope you choke on it. Now give back Lady Dibella."

"How would I choke on a gold coin?" Kathryn wondered as she gave back the statue. "Ah, no matter. Come along, Aila."

Haelga was left cradling her beloved statue. The only one left now was Keerava. As soon as they entered the Bee and Barb, the Argonian innkeeper flew panicked. "Oh no, not you!"

"I take it you know why we're here." Kathryn said.

"Of course, how could I not? You've been terrorizing everyone in town!"

"Word travels fast."

"Yes, but don't worry. You tell Brynjolf that this was all just a misunderstanding. I didn't mean to tell him to jump off a pier. Look, I even have the gold I owe." She reached down behind the counter and grabbed a coinpurse and tossed it to Kathryn.

"Well then, I suppose there's nothing more to say. Pleasure doing business with you." She left the inn, pocketing the last coinpurse. "That was easy," she said once they had left.

"You mean the last one, or the whole thing?" asked Aila.

"Both. I was expecting a lot more resistance. But, I guess it's a good thing they didn't put up more of a fight."

"I told you it was a good idea to do this."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get back to Brynjolf."

Once back at the Ragged Flagon, Kathryn threw the three coinpurses down in front of Brynjolf, who was busy eating a sweetroll. "There's you're gold." she said.

"Well, well. You two are turning out to be quite the prize." He took one of the coinpurses and handed it back to Kathryn, and then another to Aila. "Your payment. Now if you'll follow me..."

He started to walk toward the back of the Ragged Flagon, into a passageway. Aila thought he was leading them to the door that was at the end of the hall, but instead, he opened up a wardrobe off to the side and pushed the back of it open. "Oh, a secret passage." Kathryn said. "How am I not surprised?"

The secret passage led to a door, which in turn led to a room. This room was much like the room before it, but with a few differences. For one, the pool of water in the middle had a bridge. It crossed the pool at four points, making a cross shape. There was a circular platform in the middle of the cross bridges, and someone was standing on it. Brynjolf led them to this platform. "Mercer," he said the the man standing there. "These are the ones I told you about."

"This better not be another waste of our resources, Brynjolf." Aila couldn't help but notice the slightly condescending tone of his voice. "Before we continue, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. If you play by the rules, you walk away rich. If you break the rules, you lose your share. No debates, no discussions. You do what we say, when we say."

"Rules?" Kathryn said. "I hadn't realized there were rules among thieves."

Mercer scowled. "I'll let that comment go, because you're new here. But speak any more out of line, and we're going to have a problem. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Aila said.

"Yeah, sure." said Kathryn.

"Good. You can talk to Vex or Delvin if you want more jobs. Go see Tonilia for your new armour. Now, If you'll excuse me, I have important matters to attend to."

"Mercer, aren't you for getting something?" Brynjolf said.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Since Brynjolf assures me that you'll be nothing but a benefit to us, then you're in. Welcome to the Thieves' Guild."


	14. 13: A Week of Thieving

A Week of Thieving

Aila watched as Kathryn slept. It was such an intriguing sight. She had never actually seen her sleep before. Every night, Aila would fall asleep next to her, but Kathryn would always stay awake. But it had been so long, and even Kathryn had her limits. Aila wanted to watch her, however creepy it might seem. She was obviously dreaming; Aila could see her eye's moving beneath her eyelids, and every once in a while she would mutter something unintelligible. Aila brushed away a stand of hair that was in Kathryn's eyes. It was getting long. She would probably cut it soon. Maybe she should grow it out. Aila tried to imagine her with longer hair. _I might suggest it after she wakes up. _Either way, Kathryn looked beautiful to Aila.

Aila sniffed the air and made a face. The faint smell of sewer was starting to return. She got out of bed, tring her best not to wake Kathryn, and re-lit a couple scented candles and some incense. They had done wonders, especially for Kathryn. She had put some in her room as well, but she rarely went there. She usually stayed in Aila's room. Kathryn stirred slightly as Aila crawled back into bed.

"Mine... sweetroll." she mumbled in her sleep.

Aila smiled at her senseless words. Kathryn mumbled something else that Aila couldn't understand. Aila lifted her head and lightly pressed her lips against Kathryn's. When she pulled away, Kathryn's eyes were open. "Oh, sorry," Aila said. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Kathryn yawned and said with a smile, "I don't mind." Aila smiled back. They stared at each other for a while before Kathryn asked, "How long have you been awake?"

Aila shrugged. "A few minutes or so. You were sleeping when I woke up."

"So I was."

"What did you dream about?"

Kathryn paused, thinking. "I don't recall."

"Was it about sweetrolls?"

"... Maybe. How did you know?"

"You talk in your sleep."

"I do? What did I say?"

"Mostly gibberish. All I understood was 'mine' and 'sweetroll'."

"Huh. I wonder what to make of that."

"You tell me, Kat. It was your dream."

"Unfortunately, I don't remember what I dreamed about."

"Maybe you're still asleep, and this is all just a dream."

"Now is not the time to get all philosophical, love."

"It wouldn't be such a bad dream though, would it?"

Kathryn smiled. "No, it wouldn't." She pulled Aila close and kissed her.

Aila kissed her back with all the enthusiasm she could muster, which was quite a lot. Aila let out an involuntary moan.

Kathryn pulled away suddenly. "Wait, what time is it?" she asked.

"It's still pretty early," Aila said. She wanted to get back to kissing. "The sun's still down, I think."

"I should probably go before everyone starts waking up." She started to get up, but Aila crawled on top of her and sat on her stomach.

"Oh come on, we still have time. Let's have some fun." she said with a coy smile.

Kathryn looked up at her for a moment before letting out a reluctant sigh. "You are very difficult to argue with."

"I know." She leaned down and continued kissing her. Her hands were far from idle, though. One hand slowly snaked down into Kathryn's nether-regions, while the other moved toward her breast. Aila squeezed both parts, trying to invoke a response from her. What she received, was a satisfying, yet quiet moan. It was odd, during these types of activities, Kathryn was usually the more quiet one, and Aila was the louder one. The opposite would be true in any other situation. Never the less, Aila knew she was enjoying herself. It would be hard not to.

Aila would have been perfectly content to continue with what she was doing, but Kathryn apparently had other ideas. She pushed Aila onto her back, gently but firmly. With a slight smirk on her face, she moved her hand up Aila's thigh... but then stopped as a sudden knock came from the door. "Aila," came a voice. It was Brynjolf's. "You in there, lass?"

"I thought you said it was still early," Kathryn whispered.

"I thought it was," Aila whispered back. "It's hard to tell when you live in a sewer."

The knocking came again. "Aila?"

"Uh... Who is it?" Aila called, trying to buy some time while she got dressed.

"It's Brynjolf. Come on out lass, Mercer's waiting for you and Kathryn."

"Oh damn, I completely forgot," Mercer had told her and Kathryn the other day that he had a special job for them, and that he wanted to see them first thing in the morning. Having overslept and misjudging the time, both of them were now late. And Mercer Frey was not the patient type. "Just... give me a minute!"

"You'd better hurry."

"Kat, help me with this."

As Kathryn tied together the straps of Aila's smallclothes, she whispered, "This is all your fault, you know." Her tone was more mocking than angry, though.

"I know, I know." Aila said. "Just hurry, please."

When she was done, Aila opened up her wardrobe and pulled out her Thieves' Guild Armour. It was made of a strong leather, but lightweight. It had a hood and many hidden pockets for holding lockpicks, coinpurses, and any other items Aila might acquire. There were also a some spots specifically made to hide a small blade, such as a dagger. She dressed as quickly as she could and went over to Kathryn. She wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her. "I love you." she said.

"I love you too. Now go, I'll follow in a moment."

Aila kissed her once more before finally heading out. "There you are," Brynjolf said as she closed the door behind her. "Have you seen Kathryn? She's not in her room."

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Aila said.

"Yes, well, you'd better go see Mercer as soon as you can. He's becoming impatient."

"Right," Aila said and dashed to the Cistern.

As she walked through the doorway that separated the Cistern from the living quarters, Aila saw Mercer give her a look that could have stopped a giant dead in its tracks. Aila gulped and kept walking to his desk. "You were supposed to be here at first light," he said in his usual patronizing voice.

"I'm s-sorry, I... o-overslept... sir," Aila stammered.

He turned his head and looked somewhere past Aila. She followed his gaze and saw Kathryn approaching, clad in her Guild Armour. "And what about you?" Mercer said. "Did you oversleep as well?"

"Something like that," Kathryn said. Aila didn't understand how she could stand in front of Mercer like this and not feel the least bit intimidated. Kathryn smiled at her as she neared. That gave a bit of a boost to Aila's courage, but it faded again when she looked back to Mercer.

"So," he said. "Now that you're finally here, let's get down to business. You two have done well this past week, but now I think it's time to put your skills to the test. A few miles from Riften lies a bee farm called Goldenglow Estate. It's a critical asset to one of our largest clients. The owner has suddenly decided to stop paying."

"So what do you want us to do?" Kathryn asked.

Mercer looked at her in distaste. "I was getting to that, as you might have known had you not interrupted. I want you to break in and find out whatever you can."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Kathryn asked.

"Enough questions!" Mercer said, obviously fed up with her. "Talk to Brynjolf if you need to know more. Now go!"

Aila moved as quickly as she could without running, with Kathryn following closely behind. They left the Cistern and entered the Ragged Flagon. As they sat in an empty table, Aila let out a sigh and looked around the tavern. It was filled with all the usual patrons. All of whom, were part of the Thieves' Guild. Tonilia was the fence. She was at the bar talking with her lover, Vekel, who was also the innkeeper. Tonilia had given Aila and Kathryn their armour, and also told them to come to her if they wanted to sell something that they had stolen.

Vex was right where she usually was, leaning on the wall. She was one of the two people who handed out jobs. The jobs she gave usually involved break-ins. The reason for breaking-in varied. It might be to steal some items of value, or to change some information on a ledger. Aila didn't like her much. She seemed to have bit of a superiority complex. While no one could deny that she was an exceptional thief, Aila thought that she let it go to her head.

Delvin was much more modest. He never bragged about his skill, even though he was a master of stealth. Aila liked him quite a bit, despite him being a bit of an alcoholic. It was early in the morning, and already he was drinking. Even so, he was fun to be around, and he always seemed to have a joke to tell and make her laugh. He taught Aila a few things about staying hidden, and promised to teach her more. He was also the other person who handed out the jobs. He dealt with the more up-close jobs, such as pickpockets and the ilk.

There was no one else in the tavern, except for Brynjolf, who was approaching, yet Aila felt like there should be. It was an odd sensation, and she didn't quite understand it. She ignored the feeling as Brynjolf sat down at the table with them. "Well, you haven't been flayed alive, so that's a good sign. How'd it go with Mercer?" he asked.

"It could've gone better," Aila said. "Kathryn certainly wasn't any help."

"What did I do?" Kathryn asked.

"You kept bugging him with your questions."

"How else was I suppose to know what to do?"

"I'm sure it wasn't entirely Kathryn's fault," Brynjolf said. "Mercer was already annoyed that you two were late. Why weren't you awake at dawn, like you were suppose to?"

Aila and Kathryn looked at each other. Aila felt a blush creeping up her cheeks, and she looked down at her lap, trying to hide it. "We just overslept is all." she said.

"Even you, Kathryn? I always took you for a morning person. And, you weren't in your room this morning. Where were you." Brynjolf said.

"I don't like to sleep in my room. Something about living in the sewers just doesn't appeal to me." Kathryn said.

Brynjolf laughed. "Most people would agree, I think. So tell me lasses, what did Mercer want?"

"You don't know?" Aila said. "Mercer said to talk to you for more information."

"Well in that case, I probably do know. What is it I'm supposed to tell you about?"

"Goldenglow Estate." Kathryn said.

"Goldenglow?" Brynjolf said in surprise. "Not even Vex could get in there, why would he send you?"

"He said it was to put our skills to the test." Kathryn said.

"Hmm... I suppose that makes sense. Well, here's what you need to know. The owner of Goldenglow Estate, Aringoth, is and important asset to Maven Black-Briar. He supplies her with ninety percent of the honey used in her mead. Then one day, he stopped sending her the honey. Without it, Maven will have to find some from other places, which will be time-consuming and costly. With Maven being a crucial client of ours, we sent Vex to find out why he stopped, but she found the place guarded by mercenaries."

"Mercenaries?" Kathryn asked. "Not Riften guards?"

"Aye, mercenaries. Vex barely made it out alive, though she'll never admit it."

"So what exactly do you want us to do?" Aila asked.

"I want you to teach Aringoth a lesson. Go to Goldenglow, break in and find whatever you can as to why he stopped paying Maven and the Guild. Then I want you to burn three of his bee hives. Only three, got it?"

Aila nodded and Kathryn said, "Got it."

"Good. Oh, and also, there's a tunnel somewhere around the estate. If you can find it, then it should provide you with easy access to the inside."

"Doesn't sound too hard," Kathryn said.

"Just be careful of the guards." Brynjolf said.

Aila had the strangest feeling she was being watched. She looked around the tavern again, but no one was paying her any mind. Delvin was busy drinking, Vex was counting some gold, and Vekel and Tonilia were talking. Brynjolf noticed her looking around. "Aila?" he said. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh no, it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Kathryn asked. Her eyes were full of concern. "You looked distressed."

Aila gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, I just have an odd feeling."

"What kind of feeling?"

"It's nothing, Kat. Don't worry about it."

"Remember what happened the last time you had an odd feeling?" Kathryn said.

Aila remembered. It didn't turn out well. "This isn't the same feeling, I just feel like I'm being watched."

"By who?"

"I don't know, no one here is looking at me... except for him." Aila pointed to a man sitting in the darkest corner of the Ragged Flagon. At least, she assumed it was a man; there was a mask over his face. She had only just noticed him as she was talking. It was like a shadow had suddenly lifted and revealed him. Yet Aila still had trouble looking directly at him, like something was pulling her eyes away from him. His head was turned almost directly at her. The mask was odd, to say the least. It was black, or near enough to the dark colour. It was carved into the vague shape of a face, though it had no nose, nor any defining features at all, save for two narrow slits for eye-holes and a thin line near the mouth area. The line had a slight downward curve, giving the mask an impression of frowning, as if extremely dissatisfied with something. "Who is that, Brynjolf?"

"Who?" he asked.

"That man over there, in the corner."

Brynjolf strained his eyes to see. "There's no one there, Aila. Oh wait, I see him. I don't know, I've never seen him before."

Kathryn seemed to struggle a moment before seeing him as well. "Who is that?"

The masked man turned his head and looked away, though the feeling of observance still persisted in Aila.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Kathryn said.

"No, don't do that!" Aila exclaimed suddenly.

Kathryn looked at her. "Why not? I want to know what his problem is."

"No, please don't, Kat," Aila pleaded. "I... I really don't think we should talk to him."

"So you want to just ignore him?"

"Yes. Please?"

Kathryn let out a sigh. "Alright. Let's at least go somewhere else."

On that, they all agreed on. The three of them stood and went back into the Cistern and forgot about the man in the mask. In fact, they forgot him a little too soon. They decided to head to the training room to practice their skills, but first Aila had to get her bow. They went to the living quarters to her room. She opened up the door and was about to let everyone in, but when she saw the state of her room she quickly shut the door again. "Um... could you wait outside for a moment?" Aila said.

"Sure," Brynjolf said.

Aila opened up her door and slipped into her room, careful to not let him see inside. She looked around the room and sighed. In the rush to meet Mercer, she had left the room a mess. There were clothes on the floor and the bed was unmade. That alone wasn't so bad, but some of the clothes were Kathryn's. Aila grabbed her bow that was hanging off the wall, slung the quiver across her back, and left her room. She would tidy up later. "Okay, I'm ready."

They went to the training room. It was filled with a variety of equipment; there were archer targets, stuffed dummies, and there were even locked chests to practice lockpicking. Aila and Kathryn positioned themselves across from some archer targets. Kathryn didn't have a bow, but she used the targets to practice aiming her spells. She was getting a lot stronger in magic. There was much more magicka available to her, and she was learning many new spells. The Court Wizard was the only other mage in Riften, so Kathryn had to go to her for new spell tomes. Luckily for her, there were many available to buy. A few days ago, she bought a spell called _Muffle._ As the name suggests, the spell is suppose to make the caster move silently. A good spell to have, for a thief. Kathryn hadn't been able to actually cast it yet, but according to her, she was close.

Brynjolf didn't have much need for practicing, so he just watched the other two. As Kathryn readied an Ice Spike spell, she asked, "So how far away is Goldenglow?"

"It's built on an island in the middle of Lake Honrich," Brynjolf answered. "If you walk along the shore, you'll eventually come across a bridge leading to it. Though it's most like to be guarded. Try to find the tunnel I told you about. Vex give you a better idea of where it is."

"Ugh. Do we have to talk to Vex?" Aila said.

"You don't like her?" Brynjolf said.

"Honestly, no. She's a bit... conceited."

Brynjolf laughed. "Don't let her catch you saying that. But still, you can't deny she's a damn good thief."

"I know, I know. But I still don't like her."

"Don't worry, I'll talk to her, Aila," Kathryn said.

"Thanks," Aila said. She pulled an arrow out of her quiver and nocked it. "How much do you want to bet I can hit that target up there?" There was a stuffed dummy elevated a few meters off the ground. It was a stuffed sack with a target painted on, and it had two sticks poking out the side and one out the top. On the end of each stick was another sack with their own targets painted on.

"Hit it?" said a raspy voice. "We all know you can hit it, Aila." They all turned and saw Delvin entering the room. "Hell, you could probably even get the bulls-eye. Stand a bit farther away, and then you've got a bet."

Aila smiled. She had been joking about the bet part, but she wasn't about to pass up some free gold. "How far and how much?" She asked.

"That's more like it," Delvin said. "I'll give twenty septims if you can hit one of the sacks on the end from here. Ten if you hit the middle one."

"From there?" Aila said. There was quite a bit of distance from where he indicated to the target. She walked to the spot and looked. "I don't know if I can hit it."

"Oh come on lass," Brynjolf said. "You're the best archer in the Guild. Well, except for Niruin."

"That's only because none of you know how to use a bow properly," Aila retorted.

"Cynric does."

Aila rolled her eyes. "Cynric pretends to know."

"Well if you're so skilled, hit that target," Delvin said.

"I didn't say that," Aila protested.

"They're right, though," Kathryn said. Aila looked at her. "You are very good with a bow. Just try it. I know you can hit it."

Aila sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll try. But don't expect a miracle."

She nocked her arrow once more, pulled back, and took aim. With a target so far away, it was more than simply firing. There was no wind, since they were indoors, so Aila didn't have to worry about that, but there were still other factors. Drop-off was one of them. The arrow would drop after she fired, so she would have to aim higher than the target. How high she aimed depended on how far away the target was. _No use thinking about it, _Aila thought. She aimed as well as she could, and loosed the arrow. It landed with a soft _thunk_ in the top sack. She didn't hit the middle, but she hit it.

"Ha!" Brynjolf exclaimed. "I knew you could hit it."

"I was secretly hoping you would miss," grumbled Delvin. "Well, a bet's a bet. Here's your gold."

"Thank you very much," Aila said.

"Yeah, yeah. So what's been going on with you guys, huh?"

"Mercer gave them them the Goldenglow job," Brynjolf said.

"Really? Goldenglow?"

"Yep. Apparently, Mercer wants..."

While they started talking about them and the job, Kathryn talked to Aila. "I told you, you could do it," she said.

"Yeah, you did." Suddenly, the happiness drained from Aila.

Kathryn obviously noticed. "What's wrong?"

Aila looked over at Brynjolf and Delvin. They were talking to each other, and at the moment, weren't paying attention to them. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I wanted to kiss you just then, but I couldn't."

Kathryn sighed sadly. "Aila... Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do, but I think it's for the best."

"I know, but... it's just so frustrating."

"I know it is," she placed her hand on Aila's shoulder and smiled. "We'll make up for it tonight, okay? We'll finish what we started this morning."

Aila smiled back. "Okay." Some of the happiness returned to her. She grabbed Kathryn's hand, and they stared at each other for a while.

Delvin interrupted them. "Hey Aila, come with me."

Kathryn dropped her hand, and Aila let it go. "Why?"

"I promised I would teach you some things about sneaking, didn't I? If you're going to Goldenglow, you're gonna need to know what I got to tell."

"Okay, I'm coming." she walked with Delvin out of the training room.

"You remember the first rule of sneaking?" Delvin asked.

"Always stay in the shadows," Aila said.

"Good, that's a very important rule."

Aila looked back and saw Kathryn watching her go. She smiled and waved to her as she left.

Kathryn smiled and waved back.


	15. 14: Goldenglow

Goldenglow

"So this is Goldenglow," Kathryn said. "It's smaller than I expected."

Aila had to agree. The way Brynjolf described it, she had expected a great mansion resting upon an island. In actuality, Goldenglow was connected by bridges, spread across three islands. On one lay the estate, larger than most houses, but Aila still found it's size disappointing. On another was the bee farm. Aila could see the hives from her hiding place. Kathryn bought a spell tome specially for this mission. It was very simple; all it did was spout flames, but it would get the job done. The third island didn't appear to have any real use. There were no structures or buildings, only flowering trees and blossoming bushes. It seemed it was only there to look pretty. All three island, however, were crawling with mercenaries.

From the pretty island, there was a bridge connecting it the shore of Lake Honrich. Just a little ways away from this bridge, Aila and Kathryn were hiding in the woods. "I don't see any way in," Aila said.

"We could always just swim," Kathryn suggested.

Aila groaned. "I was afraid you would say that."

"What, you don't like swimming?"

"Swimming's fine, it's the getting my armour soaked that I have a problem with."

"Well, do you have a better idea?"

Aila vainly tried look for a way across that didn't include the bridge or water. She sighed. "No. I don't."

"Come on, I'm sure it won't be that bad."

They made their way to the beach, taking care not to be seen, using the cover of night to their advantage. Kathryn went in first. She stepped in the water and waded her way across the lake. When the water was chest high, she turned back to Aila. "Come on," she called.

Aila took a tentative step into the water before quickly pulling back. "The water's freezing!"

"It's either this or hacking through a bunch of mercenaries," Kathryn reminded her.

Aila grumbled something unintelligible and, before her resolve collapsed, walked out into the water. She gasped as the bitter-cold liquid swarmed around her legs, soaking through her armour. By the time she reached Kathryn the water was too deep for her to touch, and they both continued on swimming to the island with the bee farm. They swam under water, only coming up every moment or so for air. That way, there was less chance of being seen.

After several minutes of the agonizing swim, they had finally reached the island. Just a little ways away from where they reached shore, they saw what they were looking for. "This must be the tunnel Vex mentioned," Kathryn said. Aila nodded, her teeth chattering.

It was a circular opening, with a somewhat perilous-looking ladder leading down it. They climbed down steadily and entered the tunnel. Once they reached the bottom, Kathryn cast a Candlelight spell so they could see. Aila, shivering all the while, pulled her quiver off her back. She took out the arrows and turned it upside-down. Water came pouring out. "Now all my arrows are going to get rusted," She complained, as she put them back in the quiver.

"You can always get more," Kathryn said. "Come on, we should probably keep moving."

"Wait." Aila pulled Kathryn close and wrapped her arms around her. Almost immediately, she felt the cold begin to recede. "We're safe for now. Let's just rest a moment."

Kathryn looked hesitant before she realized what Aila wanted. "Okay," she said.

Aila was incredibly grateful for Kathryn's unusual warmth. She stopped shivering and soon began to feel warm again. They held each other silently for a while before Kathryn said, "How did we get into this mess?"

"We jumped into a freezing-cold lake in the middle of night," Aila offered.

"No, I meant with the Guild."

Aila looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well... we left Riverwood meaning to go to Winterhold so we could enter the College. But somehow we ended up in Riften, as newly initiated members of the Thieves' Guild. How did that happen?"

"Things rarely go as planned," Aila said.

"I certainly didn't expect this, though. And I didn't thieving would come so easily for you. I would have thought that you'd be too... well, scared."

"I was at first," Aila said, thinking back to the first time she stole something. "I went the longest time without stealing. I tried my best to get by on what I had, but it wasn't enough. When I begged, I never got more than three septims a day, if I was lucky. Eventually, the hunger got the best of me, and I decided to steal something. It was only an apple, but it was the best apple I've ever had." She smiled slightly. "I still remember taking it."

Kathryn held her tightly. "Oh, Aila. I can't imagine what it was like for you."

"It wasn't always so bad. Honestly, the worst part was not having anyone else with me. Nobody wanted me around. Eventually I got used to stealing. And then I learned to enjoy it. But what about you? You didn't want to be a thief at first, but after we joined you didn't have a problem with it. You seem to particularly like the jobs where you have to intimidate people."

Kathryn shrugged. "It grew on me, I guess."

"I guess that makes sense," Aila said.

Kathryn gave her a quizzical look. "How so?"

"In Riverwood you were hated and shunned. Maybe this is your way of getting revenge."

Kathryn thought about that. "Maybe. I was thinking it was more because of my lycanthropy, though."  
Aila raised an eyebrow. "What does being a werewolf have to do with it?"

"How do I explain this...?" Kathryn went silent for a moment, trying to find the words. Aila waited patiently. "My lycanthropy gives me a very strong urge to... dominate is the only word I can think of. Naturally, I'm not going to go around beating people into submission, so I guess taking on those type of jobs is the closest I can get to satisfying the urge."

Aila looked at her worryingly. "Kat... tell me the truth, how hard does it get to control yourself?"

Kathryn smiled at her reassuringly "Don't worry about me. I can hold back these urges well enough. Instead, you should worry about our job. You should be warm enough by now, and we need to get going."

Aila smirked at her. She had actually warmed up quite a while ago, but she didn't want to leave Kathryn's arms so she didn't say anything. "Alright, you got me." Aila also noted how Kathryn had evaded her question and changed the subject. She didn't try to change it back. If Kathryn wasn't telling her something then there had to be a good reason. And there were more pressing matters at the moment. Perhaps she would ask again later.

Aila untangled herself from Kathryn and looked around the tunnel they were in. It was dark, and, if not for the Candlelight spell, they would not be able to see very well. As they made their way through the tunnel, Aila asked, "Where do you think we'll be able to find the information we're looking for?"

"Well if I was Aringoth, I would keep it locked up. Maybe in a safe?"

"So we're looking for a safe?"

"Most likely."

"I hope I have enough lockpicks."

Kathryn stopped suddenly and held out her arm. "Wait." She summoned a mini-blizzard in her hand and stopped to listen. Just then a skeever came running at them. It wasn't much of a fight. Kathryn threw an Ice Spike at it, and that was the end of that.

"Ugh. Disgusting little rodents," Aila said. They found many other skeevers in the tunnel. Not one of them proved to be the least bit challenging. Whether from Kathryn's magic or Aila's bow, they all ended up the same. Dead.

At last they had reached the end of the tunnel, and they climbed up the ladder leading out. Aila was expecting it to take them somewhere inside the house. Instead, it took them just outside the backdoor of the estate. For some reason, there were no guards around this entrance. Their lucky day. Kathryn tried to pull open the door. When that didn't work, she tried pushing. "Damn," she said. "It's locked."

"Let me see," Aila said. She grabbed a lockpick out of one of her many pockets and inserted it into the lock. It broke almost instantly. "This might take a while. Make sure no one is coming."

"Right," Kathryn said.

It was a very difficult lock. They were nearly caught once, but Kathryn was able to hear the guard coming, and they managed to hide themselves before they were seen. By the time Aila finally got the door open, she was nearly out of lockpicks. Aila opened the door just slightly and peeked. No guards. She stepped inside and quietly closed the door after Kathryn.

They searched the first floor, but they found nothing but mercenaries. Most of them weren't even doing their job, but sitting around a table playing cards. A couple were still patrolling the halls, but were easy to avoid. They were oblivious as long as the two stayed silent and out of sight. After they finished searching the first floor Kathryn suggested that they split up. "You search the second floor and I'll search the basement," she whispered.

Aila was about to protest, but she stopped herself. She had no real reason to argue. It was a good idea. They had less chance of getting caught than if they were together, and they would likely find where what they were looking for sooner. "Alright."

Aila headed up the stairs, while Kathryn headed down.

The hall was empty. Vex had said this place was "locked up tighter than a miser's purse" but most of it seemed to be empty. The guards were excessively lax. As she turned a corner, Aila saw a guard leaning against the wall. Startled, she quickly returned behind the corner. Her heart raced. Slowly, she mustered up the courage to take a discreet peek. He wasn't moving and his head was down. He looked asleep, but she couldn't be sure. There wasn't any way around him. Aila made a small knock on the wall.

The guard didn't stir. She did it again, a bit louder this time. Still, he did not move. She took a tentative step out and revealed herself. If the guard was awake he would had definitely saw her, but he made no movements. Aila cautiously tip-toed her way past him. When she was close, she saw that his eyes were closed, and he was indeed asleep. Another stroke of luck. She opened up the door on the end other the hall and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Worthless mercenaries."

Aila whipped around and came face to face and Bosmer, "You... you must be Aringoth," she said.

"And you're obviously one of Mercer's lackeys. I knew neither he nor Maven would let me get away with this, but I didn't have a choice."

"Look," Aila said. "I just want to know why you stopped supplying Maven and the Guild. Tell me and I'll leave." She left out the part about burning down his bee hives.

"Ha! I may as well slit my own throat while I'm at it. If I give you the key to that safe, I'll be hunted down for the rest of my life."

_So there is a safe, _Aila thought. "Forget it, I'll just open it myself."

"No!" Aringoth screamed. "I won't let you ruin everything I've worked so hard for!" He pulled out a dagger and came at Aila.

He slashed at her, and she couldn't react in time. She cried out in pain as blood started to flow from her arm. Aringoth came at her again, but this time she was ready. She pulled out her own dagger and blocked his attack, doing her best to ignore the pain in her arm. As he continued to assault her, she blocked and dodged all his attacks. _I need to get away from him. _How she was going to do that, she had no idea.

The pain in her arm was accentuating. Each movement grew more difficult to carry out and produced greater consequences. As she raised her arm to block another attack, the pain became momentarily unbearable, and her blade was knocked out of her hand as it connected with his. She scrambled to retrieve it, but Aringoth kicked her legs out from under her, and she fell to the ground with a loud_ thud. _Her arm was screaming.

"You can't do this to me!" Aringoth yelled. "I won't let you!" He jumped on top of her, and Aila just barely managed to grab his hands before he plunged the dagger into her chest. She pushed back with all her strength, but the dagger still inched closer to her. She wasn't strong enough. She was too weak. And that could mean her death. She desperately reached out for her dagger, but it was too far out of her reach. Aringoth lifted his arm abruptly and tried again to stab her. Aila was able to push his arm away just in time, and the dagger imbedded itself in the wooden floor below her. As hard as she could, she kicked him off her and jumped back onto her feet. Aringoth yanked the dagger out of the floor, and Aila pulled her bow off her back and nocked an arrow.

"Don't move!" she warned. She tried her best to mask the fear in her voice. "Just... just give me the key, or... or..."

"Or what?" Aringoth hissed. "You won't kill me. That's not your way."

There came a sudden knock at the door and a voice. "Aringoth, somethin' wrong in there? Thought I heard some noises."

_The guard. _Aila turned her head toward the door for a brief moment. That was mistake. When she turned back, Aringoth was charging at her, dagger raised high. Her instincts kicked in before her mind even had time to process. Aringoth fell to the floor with and arrow in his chest. _Oh Gods._

The voice at the door came again. "Aringoth? Ya in there?"

She needed to hide. She ran to a nearby wardrobe and climbed inside. She heard the rattle of the doorknob, and she knew the guard was coming inside. She covered her mouth, not trusting herself to stay quiet, when she heard the guard's voice again, "Oh, shit..." followed by a rapid footfall leading away from the room.

When she was sure it was safe, Aila crawled out of her hiding space. She looked at Aringoth, blood seeping out of the hole in his chest. _Oh, Gods. _She had never killed anyone before. Only some animals. Some skeevers, and even a wolf once, but never a person. She had to choke back a gag. _I need Kathryn. _She got up to leave, but then stopped and turned back to Aringoth. The key. Kathryn had likely found the safe they were looking for. They were almost out of lockpicks, and they would never get it open without that key.

She steeled herself and walked over to the corpse. She knelt down beside him and reached into his pocket. When at last she felt the metal object, she pulled it out and ran out of the room. At the bottom of the stairs, she could hear the guards arguing amongst themselves.

"We need to find the killer!" one was saying.

"Why?" said another. "Aringoth is already dead, there's no point in even staying here anymore."

"Shouldn't we at least..."

The voices died away as Aila entered the basement. She wandered around until she finally found Kathryn struggling with the lock on a safe. She ran toward her, and Kathryn, noticing her arrival, turned around and said, "Oh hey, I'm glad you're..." She was silenced by Aila crashing into her and nearly knocking her to the ground. "Hey, what's wrong? And what happened to your arm?" Aila didn't answer and only held on to her as tightly as she could. "Maybe now isn't the best time," Kathryn said. "But look, I found the safe. Only problem is, I can't open it. You're a lot better at lockpicking than me, can you try?"

Aila held out her hand. "Key," she said.

Kathryn grabbed it out of her hand and looked at it, amazed. "How did you get this?" Again, Aila didn't answer. "Hmm. Well, I suppose it doesn't matter." She put the key in the lock and turned it. The safe clicked open, and Kathryn reached inside and took out a parchment. "This is it? All that for a piece of paper?" She broke the seal and started reading. "Oh."

"What is it?"

"Later. Right now, we need to get out of here." Kathryn folded up the paper and put it in her pocket. "There was a guard down here earlier, but he ran upstairs a little bit ago. I was afraid you got caught." She touched Aila's bleeding arm. "Perhaps you did." She looked at it closer now. "This doesn't look too bad. What happened?" she asked again.

"Let's... let's just go. I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

Kathryn looked at her worryingly for a moment, before she sighed. "Alright, but first let's take care of your arm." She reached into her armour and pulled out a bandage. When she finished, she said, "Now, there's another entrance to the tunnel we were in earlier here. Come on."

Aila followed her to a trapdoor that did indeed lead to the tunnels under Goldenglow. If they had found this entrance before, it would have saved them a lot of trouble. They stumbled around in the darkness for a while until they found where they had initially entered. They emerged onto the island with the bee farm. Carefully watching for any guards, the two made their way to the middle of the island, where all the hives were.

"Okay," Kathryn said. "Here it goes." Her hands suddenly lit ablaze, and she thrust out her arm. A steady stream of flames poured from her palm and lit one of the bee hives on fire. She shifted her arm and moved the stream to another bee hive and then another, before she closed her hand and doused the flames. "There. Three hives."

Aila watched as the fire burned. She could hear the frantic buzzing of bees as their homes were turned to ash. Unbidden, memories of Helgen entered her mind. The colossal, black dragon flying above, stone and fire raining down. She shuddered and moved closer to Kathryn.

Suddenly she heard shouting. "Uh-oh. We'd better go," Kathryn suggested. They ran away from the hives. They were near the water when an arrow planted itself a few feet from Aila. They had been spotted. "Care for another swim, darling?" Kathryn said, as she jumped into the water.

Under normal circumstances, Aila would have laughed. Instead she only thought, _This day just keeps getting worse._

She dived in after Kathryn. Swimming was made much more difficult by her arm, not to mention the cold, but she kept her body moving. Suddenly her leg erupted in excruciating pain. Her rhythmic swimming motions were interrupted and she tried to breathe, her lungs finding nothing but water. Her mind panicked, and she desperately tried to reach the surface. She couldn't. Her leg was in too much pain to move, and her arm was detrimental as well. She was drowning.


	16. 15: Dreams and Visions

Dreams and Visions

"Drowning is the most peaceful way to die."

Someone had said that once. Whoever it was, lied. Her lungs were on fire. She tried to move, but she could not even tell if she was through the pain in her body. Desperately, she tried to reach the surface of the water, but she was no longer sure which way was up. Her vision was blurring, and soon she could see nothing but darkness. And then everything went white.

Her eyes opened, and Aila found herself in a place most strange. The pain disappeared from her, and she felt... floaty. Her feet did not feel as if they were touching any floor, she felt as if she was hovering in... somewhere. Everything was white. She looked up, down, left, right, but she saw nothing. She took a step forward and began walking. At least she thought she did, her feet made no footfall and there was no way to tell if she was moving. _Where in Oblivion am I?_

"Listen close, for there is little time."

Aila spun around and saw a man. "Wh... where am I? Am I... am I dead?"

"Far from it," the man said. "You are merely unconscious. Very soon, your little werewolf will revive you, but for now, there is something you must know."

"Wait... do I know you?" He looked strangely familiar.

"You have seem me before, but you do not know me. We are speaking now, only through a soul. A soul that you took."

_A soul? _Aila thought. _That I took? _"What are you talking about?"

"Think, Aila. When you killed him, his flesh burned away. The light you saw? The light that healed you?"

_Burning flesh... Strange lights... _It all sounded so familiar. And then it hit her. "The dragon." She remembered now. The dragon she killed. It seemed so long ago. And the man. The man she saw in her vision. It was the same man standing before her now. "So it was you. You sent the dragon after us. Why? Who are you?"

"To make you stronger," he said. "You have power. Unimaginable power, locked away inside you. And the key, is dragon souls. But that is not enough. That is only part of it. You have many trails ahead of you, some of which I created, and along the way you will find words. Many of them will be set in place by me. Only you will recognize them as words, however. Others will only see them as scratches on the wall. You must learn these words, and use them to harness the power within you. With each word you learn, and each soul you take, you will become more and more powerful."

Aila tried to process that. "Are... are saying I have to kill more dragons?"

"It is inevitable."

"How? I could barely kill one the first time, I can't do it again!" Suddenly, Aila screamed in pain. Her chest felt like it was on fire. Her ankle felt as if it had been shattered.

"You are waking up," The man said. "Do not tell anyone about this conversation, Aila. Not even your werewolf."

"Wait, who are you? How do you know me?" She screamed again.

"I have been watching you for a while now. I will reveal myself to you when you are ready. Do not expect to see me again. In fact, I should not have even come to you now, when you are still unprepared, but I am running out of time." He started to fade.

"No, wait! I still have..." Her sentence was interrupted by a fit of coughs that suddenly came upon her. She started to cough up water. Her eyes snapped open, and she was laying in a forest. She jerked up in a violent fit of coughs, and water came pouring out her mouth.

When at last the coughs subsided, and she could breathe again, she felt arms wrap around her, and a warm body press against hers. "Thank the Gods, I thought I'd lost you."

_Kathryn. _Aila held on to her as tightly as her weakened body would allow. She winced at a sharp pain in her leg, and when she looked down she whimpered. There was an arrow was sticking out of her ankle. "Kat..." her voice came out hoarse and whispered, and there was a pain that came with it.

Kathryn looked at her, her silvery eyes full of concern. "Don't talk, save your energy."

"Arrow..." Aila said.

"I know, I know," Kathryn said. She looked at her wound in distress. She reached into her armour and pulled out a vial. "This healing potion is all I have, but I don't think it's enough to heal you all the way. And also..." she shook her head. "Aila, I can't do this."

"Kat... I can't have... an arrow in my foot."

"I know, but... I can't be the one to take it out."

"There is no one else."

"But... but..."

Aila couldn't help but wonder why she was acting this way. "I know... It'll hurt... but you need... to do it."

"It's not just that," Kathryn said. She hesitated for a moment. "The blood... it... when I smell blood it makes me..."

"Oh." Of course. Kathryn was werewolf. The smell of blood must have some kind of effect on her. "You never... had a problem before," Aila said.

"I've never been around this much blood for so long before," Kathryn said.

Aila held out her hand and, as she expected, Kathryn took it. "Kathryn, please... just... do it. I trust you."

Kathryn looked at her desperately before finally giving up and moving closer to Aila's wound. Aila flinched slightly as she grabbed the arrow. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Aila took a deep breath and nodded. In one quick motion, Kathryn yanked the arrow out, and Aila, though she tried not to, cried out in pain. Kathryn then grabbed the potion vial and uncorked it. She poured the contents over the wound. It stung at first, but was soon followed by a small relief as the wound started to close. Kathryn was right however, and it was not enough to heal it all the way. Aila was still grateful for the small help it provided, though. Kathryn pulled out some bandages from somewhere in her armour and started to wrap them as best she could around Aila's ankle. "There, it's done," Kathryn said.

"Thank you," Aila said. She looked at Kathryn and noticed something strange. She was breathing unusually heavily, and there were flickering, golden specks in her eyes.

"Right. I... I need some air." She stood and walked away a bit. Not very far though, she was still within sight.

Aila watched her lean against a tree and bring a hand to her mouth. She was beginning to wonder just what Kathryn was going through. She knew Kathryn often fought back certain urges, she said as much before, but she never said just how difficult it could get. Aila worried for her. She wanted to help in some way, but she had no idea how. Right now, all she was doing was making it harder for her.

But her attention was soon pulled away from Kathryn, and instead to the tree she was leaning on. There were odd scratches on it. Normally, Aila wouldn't think anything of it, but when she saw it, her dream came rushing back to her. She remembered what the strange man had said. _"Only you will recognize them as words, however. Others will only see them as scratches on the wall." Is that what he was talking about? _There was only one way to find out.

Aila tried to stand, but she found it harder than she expected. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by Kathryn. She came running back toward Aila. "Hey, what are you doing? You shouldn't be standing up." Her eyes no longer contained golden spots, only worry.

"I need to see something," Aila said.

"Whatever it is, it can wait."

"No, it's... ow... it's important."

"Not as important as keeping as keeping you unharmed."

"Just help me get to that tree, then I'll stay put."

Kathryn looked at the tree she was pointing to. "The one that's all scratched up? Why?"

"I need to see something," Aila said again.

Kathryn sighed. "Alright." With Kathryn's help, Aila managed to stand. "Why do I let you do these things?" Kathryn asked.

"Because you love me," Aila said.

Kathryn smiled. "As much as that's true, I don't see what that has to do with it."

"You just can't resist my unbridled charms."

Kathryn laughed. "You're right. I'm helpless against you."

Aila laughed along with her. After everything that happened, it was good to know that neither of their spirits had been diminished.

"So," Kathryn said. "What was it that you were so intent on seeing?"

"This," Aila said, feeling the markings on the tree with her hand.

They were a series dots and lines combined in an odd fashion. It looked as if someone carved the markings into the tree, and recently too, by the looks of it.

"What's so special about it?" Kathryn asked.

"Look at it, doesn't it seem weird to you?"

She watched the marking for a moment before answering. "Now that you mention it... at first I just thought just random scratches some animal made... but now that I look at it, it looks like it was intentionally made. It almost looks like some kind of writing."

"That's because it is," Aila said.

Kathryn looked at her. "How do you know?"

"I... I'm not sure. I just know it is."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Oh. I see." She studied the markings for a bit. "I wonder what it says."

Aila felt the last section of the markings. "This part here... It's different somehow."

"Different how?"

Aila shook her head. "I don't know, but..." suddenly her eyes widened. "Kat... I can't see."

"What?"

"I can't see! The last word it... it's so bright." It was like it was burning into her eyes. Everywhere she looked, it was there. So bright, it drowned out everything else. She shut her eyes, but she could still see it. Not knowing what else to do, she waited. She stood still, holding onto Kathryn until finally, the word faded away. After several minutes, when her eyes finally adjusted back to the darkness, Aila loosened her grip on Kathryn.

"Are you alright now?" Kathryn asked.

Aila nodded. "Yeah."

"So you can see?"

"Yes."

Kathryn let out a sigh of relief. "Why do these strange thing keep happening to you?"

Aila wanted to tell her about her dream, but something was holding her back. The mysterious man had told her not to tell anyone. He seemed... powerful. Not the sort of person you would just ignore. "I don't know," she said. "I just wish they would stop."

"I don't blame you," Kathryn said. She looked back to the tree. "What did you mean when you said the last word was so bright?"

"The markings _are_ words. I don't know what the rest says, but, for some reason, I know what the last word means now."

"And what does it mean?" Kathryn asked.

"Su," Aila told her. "Air." She wasn't sure why, but she was pretty sure that she was supposed the yell the word while she was fighting. What that would do and how it would help, she didn't have the slightest idea.

"Why would this be written on a tree, in a strange language that you can somehow read? Well, partly anyways."

"I don't know, Kat. I... I just want to get back to Riften."

Kathryn smiled sadly at her. "Of course you do."

Aila tried to walk, but she found it exceptionally difficult. "Why don't you let me carry you?" Kathryn offered after Aila nearly collapsed from a misplaced step.

"What, all the way to Riften?" Aila said.

"You know I'm stronger than I look. Besides, you'll only worsen your wound if you keep walking on it."

"Alright. Just... let me down when we get back to the city."

"Of course."

Kathryn picked her up off her feet and held her in her arms. Aila had to admit, it wasn't all that bad. Kathryn was warm and soft, and there was a wonderful relief in her foot when the pressure was lifted, though it still pained her. "What happened after I, well... you know."

"I noticed you were in trouble, so I came after you," Kathryn said. "I carried you to the shore and then into the forest. Luckily, the guards didn't care enough to follow. Once I was far enough in the forest, I set you down and tried to revive you. I don't know what I would have done if I failed."

"But you didn't. You succeeded, and I'm still alive." Aila lifted herself up and pulled Kathryn into a deep kiss. When she pulled away, Kathryn laughed unexpectedly. "What?" Aila asked.

"Sorry. You're just so small."

"And how is that funny?" Aila demanded.

"It's adorable."

"Here I am trying to be comforting, and you making fun of how short I am." Despite her angry tone, Aila felt oddly flattered.

"Oh, don't be that way. I said sorry."

Aila humphed and crossed her arms. "No more kisses for you."

But that only resulted in another laugh from Kathryn.


	17. 16: Learning

**A/N: **This was originally going to be two chapters, but I thought they were too short so I merged them into one. Also, It kind of sucks. Sorry 'bout that. The next one will be better, I promise.

* * *

Learning

Aila's eyes fluttered open. As she sat up and looked around, she saw that she was back in her room, in the Ratway under Riften. She tried to remember how she got there. She remembered being in Kathryn's arms. She was carrying her back to Riften. Aila had to admit, being carried wasn't all that bad. Kathryn was warm and soft, and the gentle swaying motion as she walked was soothing. Aila remembered beginning to feel drowsy. She must have fallen asleep, and Kathryn carried her back to her room.

Aila swung her legs over the side of the bed and winced at the sharp pain in her foot as a result of the movement. She slowly stood, gripping the bed frame for support. Little by little, she made her way across the room until she reached the door. She pulled it open and looked out into the hall. Kathryn was in a chair, just a little ways away, with a book in her hands. When she noticed Aila, she set the book down and came towards her. "Hey, what are you doing? You should be resting," she said.

"I'm not tired," Aila responded.

"Even so, you shouldn't be walking around with your foot like that. Come on." She led her back into her room and set her down on the bed. She took Aila's foot and started to unravel the bandages. "I picked up a healing spell while you were sleeping. I don't know why I didn't know one before."

"Is that what you were reading? A healing spell?" Aila asked.

"No, that was a ward spell. I bought along with the healing spell."

"Did you already learn the healing spell?"

Kathryn nodded.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Twelve hours, nearly," she told her. "And you deserve the rest. You've been through a lot."

Kathryn loosened the last of the bandages and held her hand over the wound. "This may sting a bit." A soft glow formed in her hand, and Aila's wound began to heal. It didn't sting, like Kathryn said. It itched. A lot. It took an incredible amount of willpower not to scratch. When at last Kathryn said, "There," and removed her hand, Aila's own hand went to her ankle and scratched. The relief was delightful. "How does it feel?" Kathryn asked.

Aila flexed her ankle. "Better," she said. "Much better."

"Good. Now let's do your arm." Kathryn sat next to Aila and removed the bandages on her arm. As she healed the wound, Kathryn said, "You know, you never told me how you got this cut."

When she heard those word, the memory of how she got the wound came rushing back to her. When she had fought with Aringoth… when she… she… "I killed him."

Kathryn blinked. "What?"

"I killed him. I… he… he attacked me… and… and…" Aila felt tears start to flow from her eyes.

"Aila, calm down," Kathryn said. "Just tell me what happened."

Aila took a deep breath and tried again. "I was looking for the safe and I was caught."

"Who caught you? One of the guards?"

Aila shook her head. "Aringoth. I… I tried to tell him that we just wanted to know why he stopped paying the Guild, but then he attacked me. I tried to fight back, but he was… I managed to get away, and I grabbed my bow, but he came at me again, and I panicked and… and…" She choked on her words and started to cry openly.

Kathryn put an arm around her and consoled her. "It okay, it's alright. It was an accident, you didn't mean to do it."

Aila held onto Kathryn as tightly as she could as she cried. After a long while, her grip loosened and her cries became faint sobs, and then her attitude abruptly changed. She stopped crying and released her hold on Kathryn, wiping away her tears. Her look became less of one of sadness, and more somber.

Kathryn questioned the change gently. "Aila? What is it?"

"Why am I always crying?" Aila said, more to herself than Kathryn.

"That's not true, you don't always cry."

"Yes I do. I was crying when I came to Skyrim, and I've been crying ever since. I'm just a weak, pathetic, little crybaby."

Suddenly Kathryn stood and placed herself in front of Aila, putting her hands on her hips. "Aila, I am sick and tired of you acting like this," she said almost angrily.

Aila looked at her in surprise. "W-what?"

"You're always depreciating yourself and never giving yourself any credit. You're not a crybaby, you're not pathetic, and you're most certainly not weak. You've killed a dragon, for Mara's sake!"

"That... I just got lucky," Aila said.

"It takes a lot more than luck to kill a dragon."

Aila looked down at her lap, feeling too ashamed to speak.

Kathryn seemed to relax a bit, letting her hands drop from her hips with a sigh. "I just... I just wish you would have a little more faith in yourself."

"I'm sorry."

Kathryn looked at her softly. She placed her thumb and forefinger on Aila's chin and lifted up her head, so that she was looking directly into her pearly eyes. "You don't need to apologize."

Aila stared her at for a long while. Kathryn was so good to her. She didn't ever think she could ever express how grateful she was for her. But that wouldn't stop her from trying. She grabbed ahold of Kathryn and pulled her into a deep kiss.

Kathryn followed her example eagerly. She sat on Aila's lap and wrapped her legs around her waist. They broke the kiss only for a moment, so that Kathryn could slip off Aila's tunic. Kathryn's lips grazed along Aila's neck, causing her to gasp softly. "Kat," Aila whispered. "I want you."

"You have me," Kathryn said, before climbing off Aila's lap and standing in front of her once again. She started to strip down seductively while Aila watched. As her clothing disappeared piece by piece, Aila felt her cheek reddening. An act that seemed to amuse Kathryn. "You blush so easily," she said as the last of her clothing was thrown to the side. "How may times have you seen me naked?"

"I can't help it," Aila said. "Your just so..."

"Sexy?"

"I was going to say beautiful, but sexy works too."

Kathryn laughed and held out her hand. "Come here, you."

Aila grabbed it and Kathryn pulled her to her feet and up against her body. Once again, Aila was reminded of just how warm Kathryn was. When she wore clothes, her heat was dulled a bit, but still noticeable if anyone cared to pay enough attention. But when Aila felt her bare skin, it sent her heart racing. It didn't seem to matter how many times Aila had seen her like this; she still got nervous every time.

Aila stared up at Kathryn's silver eyes and marveled at them. The space between their lips dissolved and they were locked into a kiss once more. Aila's hand glided along Kathryn's body, starting from her shoulder, down her back, around her hips, eventually finding its way to her private areas. Aila felt her shiver at her touch. She smiled inwardly, happy that she could make her feel as wonderful as Kathryn made her.

Suddenly, Kathryn pushed Aila away from her and on to the bed. Aila briefly wondered why, until she saw the roguish smile on her face. "Now, this isn't much fair, is it?" Kathryn said.

"What isn't?" Aila asked her.

"I'm standing here, naked as a newborn, while you're still almost fully clothed."

"You're right," Aila said, filling her voice with feigned guilt. "I've been so unfair to you. How can I ever make it up to you?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things." Kathryn walked toward Aila and knelt down in front of her. "You can start by taking off these." She took ahold of Aila's trousers and pulled them down over her legs. "That's a bit better. But we're still not quite there." Her arms went behind Aila's back, tugging at her breast-band.

As Kathryn pulled the rest of her smallclothes off, Aila decided she'd had enough. "This is taking too long," she said and pulled Kathryn up on the bed with her. She would make it up to Kathryn in her own way.

* * *

"There's something I think you should know," said Kathryn.

"What is it?" Brynjolf asked.

"The owner of Goldenglow, Aringoth? He's... well, he's dead."

Brynjolf blinked in surprise. "Oh? May I ask how?"

"There's not really much to tell. He attacked Aila, she fought back and... well, you get the idea."

Aila looked down at the ground, half hiding behind Kathryn, not wanting to see his reaction.

"Hmm. Well luckily for you, this won't affect your job performance."

"It won't?" Kathryn asked. "Why not?"

"Maven would've preferred Aringoth alive, but if it came down to it, she could've easily found a replacement for him. I would've told you before, but I didn't think it would be necessary. But now that we know that he sold Goldenglow, it doesn't matter either way."

"Aringoth sold Goldenglow?" Aila asked. This was news to her.

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you," Kathryn said. "That piece of paper we found in the safe was a bill of sale. It said that Aringoth agreed to sell Goldenglow."

"To who?"

"We don't know," Brynjolf said. "There was no clear recipient. Just an odd symbol."

"What did it look like?"

"See for yourself." He reached into his armour and pulled out the paper. At the bottom of the page, Aila saw a symbol with the depiction of a dagger. "I don't suppose you know what it is?" Brynjolf asked.

"Nope," Aila said. "Never seen it before."

Brynjolf sighed. "I didn't think so. Well, I've got to get back to work. Good to see you're well, Aila."

He started to leave, but then Aila called out to him. "Brynjolf, wait!" He stopped and turned. "Would... would you consider yourself to be the best swordsman in the Guild?"

"Me?" Brynjolf laughed. "No. That would be Mercer."

Aila would never ask Mercer what she was about to ask Brynjolf. And she doubted he would ever agree. "Besides Mercer, would you say you're the best?"

"Hmm... well, I don't like to boast, but I suppose I am."

"Can you train me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Can you train me?" Aila said again. "I want to get stronger."

"Aila, I don't think I can..."

"I've already had some lessons. When I was in Whiterun I learned a little about swordplay, but I want to know more. Please? I'm tired of being so... weak."

Brynjolf looked at her blankly for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Meet me in the training room tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, thank you Brynjolf, I promise you won't regret it!"

"I'm sure." And with that, he took his leave.

"So," Kathryn said after he left. "Training."

"What?" Aila asked. "What's wrong with wanting to get stronger?"

Kathryn smiled and put an arm around her. "Absolutely nothing. You're taking more control of your life. I'm glad."

Aila smiled back. "Well, if you're happy, I'm happy."

"Then in that case, I'll try to be as jubilant as possible." Aila laughed, and Kathryn laughed along with her. "Come on," Kathryn said. "Let's go get some jobs. I'm trying to save up for an invisibility spell."

"An invisibility spell?" Aila said as they made their way out of the Cistern and to the Ragged Flagon.

"Yep. You can see how useful that could be. Unfortunately, it's very expensive. Probably uses up a lot of magicka too."

"I'm sure you won't have a problem learning it."

"We'll see. Vex!" Kathryn ran over to Vex, asking if she had any jobs, while Aila went to Delvin.

He was sitting down at a table with a flagon in his hand. Aila took the seat across from him.

"Now there's a lovely sight," Delvin said as she sat down. "Here for work, I assume."

"That I am. And don't call me lovely."

"Why not?"

"Because you're old enough to be my grandfather. It's weird."

Delvin chuckled. He reached into his armour and pulled out a scroll. "Let's see. I got a number of jobs here in Riften. I also got a few up in Shor's Stone, if you're interested."

"Shor's Stone? Where's that?"

"About a day's ride north of here."

"Let's just stick to Riften for now."

"As you wish." He scanned through the scroll a moment before speaking again. "So what would you like? Fishing? Numbers?"

"Just give me whatever. Anything to fill out the rest of my day."

"The whole day? That's quite a bit of work."

"I just need something to take my mind off... something."

"You mean Aringoth?"

Aila stared at him for a moment. "I literally just told Brynjolf minutes ago, how did you find out already?"

Delvin shrugged. "Word travels fast."

"A little too fast, I think."

"Yes... Listen Aila, I know killing isn't exactly in your nature, but it's something you're going to have to get used to. Like it or not, we're thieves. These things happen."

Aila let out a sigh. "I understand."

"I mean, take the Dragonborn for example. He has to kill to survive."

Aila's ears perked up at the word dragon. "Who?"

"The Dragonborn. You haven't heard? The news has been spreading across Skyrim like wildfire."

"Heard what?"

"The Dragonborn's returned! The nordic hero of legend. I'm not a Nord myself, so I don't know much about it, but supposedly, he can absorb a dragon's soul and harness their power and use it for himself. Though, I heard he's not much of a hero. More of a mercenary. Some Redguard, I think."

"Dragonborn," Aila muttered under her breath. Her mind was racing. Absorbing a dragon's soul. That was exactly was she had done. Or at least it was what the strange man in her dream had said she had done. Aila stood abruptly. She left Delvin and made her way to Kathryn.

"Aila," Delvin called out to her. "What about your job?"

Aila ignored him and pulled Kathryn, who was still busy talking with Vex, away from the Ragged Flagon and to the other side of the room, where they could talk more privately. Nearly everyone in the Flagon was looking at them, but that didn't matter. As long as they couldn't hear.

"Aila, what on Nirn is it?" Kathryn asked with a slight look of worry on her face.

"What do you know about the Dragonborn?"

"The Dragonborn? Some Nord hero, I think. And I think it has something to do with the Empire too. I don't know, I'm not a Nord, I don't pay attention to their legends. Why do you ask?"

"Delvin just said he's returned. He said that the Dragonborn can absorb a dragon's soul use their own power."

"Really? That's amazing. But I still don't understand why you pulled me back here."

"Don't you see? That's what happened. When I..." Aila stopped herself and looked back toward the Flagon. She didn't want anyone but Kathryn to hear this. She opened up the door and pulled Kathryn into the small room that was just before the Flagon. She hadn't been in this room in a while. There was a secret entrance to the Cistern hidden in Riften's graveyard. Since the joined the Guild, they rarely entered the conventional way.

Aila shut the door behind them. "When I killed that dragon. That... thing that happened with the lights and me healing."

"So you're telling me... that you think you're the Dragonborn?"

"Kat, I have no idea what I am. I don't even know for sure what race I am."

Kathryn exhaled. "How do you know that's what happened? How do you know that you... absorbed it's soul?"

Aila took a deep breath and let it out. "During Goldenglow, when I was unconscious, I had a dream... or... or a vision, I don't know. But, I saw that man again. The one I told you I saw after I killed the dragon. He... he told me had power. And that I needed dragon souls to unlock that power."

Kathryn massaged her temples as she thought. "To be honest, I didn't believe you when you told about the man. I thought you were just hallucinating, or something."

"Well, do you believe me now?"

Kathryn was silent a moment before speaking. "I think so. As crazy as it sounds, it makes sense."

Aila looked at her. "It does?"

She laughed slightly. "If your really are the Dragonborn... or a dragonborn at least, then yes it does. But I still don't understand something."

"And what's that?"

"Who is the man you keep seeing? How does he fit into everything?"

Aila thought about it. "I don't know. Whenever I think about him, I get all confused. He looks young, but my mind tells me he's ancient. I don't even know how that's possible."

"What, is he a vampire?"

Aila shook her head. "No, I don't think so. That doesn't seem right." Aila went silent, lost in thought.

After moment or two Kathryn broke the silence. " We're going to have to talk more about this. But for now, we have work to do. You pulled me away just as Vex was giving me details on my job."

"Yeah, I guess now really isn't a good time. The next time you see the Court Wizard, could you ask her if she has any books about the Dragonborn?"

"Of course."

Aila smiled at her. "Thanks. Oh, and one more thing?"

"Anything."

"Could you not tell anyone about this?"

"I thought you would say that. I don't really know why you don't want anyone to know, but I won't tell." Then she pulled Aila close and cupped her cheek with one hand, while the other rested on her waist. "I promise." She planted a kiss on Aila's lips.

Aila's eyes involuntarily fluttered close, and a soft moan escaped her. "What was that for?" she asked after the kiss broke.

Kathryn smirked at her. "Aila, you pulled me into a secluded room where we'd be all by ourselves. You can't expect me not to take advantage of that."

"But I thought you said we had work to do."

"Work can wait a bit."

And wait it did.


	18. 17: Practice

Practice

When Aila woke that morning, Kathryn wasn't with her. That was perfectly alright. After all, she couldn't expect her to stay all night with her. There were many times where Kathryn was away when she woke. After dressing and cladding herself in armour, Aila went out to look for her. She found her in the Cistern, secluded in a corner table, scribing furiously over a piece of parchment. Aila saw her slam the quill onto the table then lean back in her chair, her hands reaching up to her face.

Smiling slightly at her frustration, Aila walked up behind her and placed her hands on Kathryn's shoulders, gently massaging them. "You look stressed."

"I suppose that's one way to put it." The agitation was clear in her voice.

"What are you working on?" Aila asked.

"I'm trying to copy this man's handwriting for a Numbers job. I just can't seem to get it right."

"Mind if I try?"

Kathryn stood from the chair and gestured with her hands. "Be my guest."

Aila seated herself and carefully studied the writing she was supposed to copy. She picked up the quill and started scribbling. "There. How's that?"

Aila heard Kathryn scoff. "Of course."

"Of course what?"

"Of course I have to practice for hours and still not get it right, and you get it perfectly on your first attempt."

"What are you getting angry for?"

"I'm not angry!" Kathryn took a deep breath and collected herself. But when she spoke again, her tone was no less condescending. "It's like you don't even have to try. Everything you do, you're already an expert in."

Aila stood from the chair, not quite sure what to say. Kathryn had never acted like this before. "Kat, you know that's not true. I suck at a ton of things."

"Name one."

"Magic! I can't so much as light a candle with magic."

At her words, Kathryn's eyes seemed to soften a bit. "Aila... You're right, I'm sorry. I don't know why I snapped like that."

"Neither do I. I was just trying to help."

"I know you were. I really am sorry."

Aila looked at her, still puzzling over what just happened. One moment, Kathryn was acting as if she resented her and the next she was filled with regret. Aila took a step closer to Kathryn and laid her head on her chest. "Just please don't do it again. I couldn't stand it if you were angry at me."

Kathryn wrapped her arms around Aila protectively. "I'm not angry at you."

The two stayed that way until they realized that they weren't in the most private of places. They uncoupled, looking around awkwardly, but no one seemed to have noticed the slightly intimate action, or if they did, they thought little of it. The entire Guild knew that Aila and Kathryn were good friends. None of them, however, knew just _how_ good.

When Kathryn seated herself again, Aila took her hand. "I'm going to go see if Delvin or Vex have any jobs for me. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Aila smiled slightly. "I love you."

For a moment, Aila thought Kathryn wasn't going to respond, but then she looked at her and smiled back. "And I love you."

* * *

"That was rash, Karsten. Too rash."

"I did what I had to do."

"Did you? You cannot will her to be stronger. Let her progress at her own pace."

"Her pace is too slow."

"Was it not you who told me to be patient? Was it not you who told me to wait?"

"I know what I said!" He turned to look at her, a featureless mask covering his face. "Every day, Alduin's strength grows. Damon traverses all of Skyrim, growing stronger with each enemy he faces. Meanwhile, Aila remains skulking in the shadow, conspiring with thieves and murderers. I can no longer wait for her."

The Woman sighed and crossed her arms. "_'Drem'_ means patience. But it also means peace. You must calm down, Suleyk. You must..."

Her sentence was cut off when the Man seemingly disappeared for a short moment, reappearing in front of her with his hand to her throat. "_Zu'u nid lingrahiik Suleyk! Dreh ni for zey naal tol tet!_"

The Woman dropped her arms to her side, but otherwise, made no other movements. "Then why are you wearing that mask?"

The Man was silent. He lowered his hand and inhaled deeply, then exhaled, his mask fading from existence as he did so. "_Krosis._ I am sorry. But I stand by what I said. I realize speaking with her was reckless, but it had to be done. If she knows of her power, it will grow more quickly. _Tiid los ni un grah-zeymahzin._"

The Woman looked at him questioningly. "Time has always been on our side."

"No longer," The Man said sullenly.

* * *

Aila stomped off to the training room. She was finally about to begin her training with Brynjolf, and she was a little nervous. She went to Kathryn, hoping that seeing her would give her a boost of confidence, but instead, she only served to rile her up. Kathryn had started another argument similar to the one they had that morning. Aila wasn't even sure what they were arguing about. Whatever it was, Aila had left feeling irritated and angry.

Brynjolf was already waiting for her in the training room. When she entered the room, he tossed a sword to her. Aila caught it by the hilt, and it took a few seconds for her to process what happened. "Brynjolf! You can't just throw swords at people, it's dangerous!"

Brynjolf chuckled softly. "You caught it, didn't you? Besides, it wouldn't have hurt you, it's been blunted."

"Even so!"

Brynjolf started to laugh again, but then he seemed to notice the distressed look on Aila's face. "Something wrong, lass?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing," Aila said dismissively.

"I'm not quite sure I believe you."

Aila let out a hesitant sigh. "Kathryn and I just had a little fight. It's fine, really."

"A fight?" Brynjolf said with a bit of incredulity. "I've never seen you two fight before. Is everything alright?"

"I said it's fine. Can we just get on with the training?"

Aila was afraid he was going to press the matter further but, to her relief, he simply said, "As you wish. Now, I've never trained anyone before, so I'm not completely sure what to do. But I suppose the first thing would be to test your strength. Try and attack me."

Aila didn't move, confused. "With just the sword?"

"Aye, what else?"

"No shield?"

"Lass, in our profession, shields tend to be little more than a hindrance."

"But Vilkas told me that it was imperative to never enter battle without a shield."

"And I'm sure this Vilkas is an accomplished warrior. But you have to remember..." Brynjolf raised his sword and brought it back down toward Aila. Aila raised her own blade in response, blocking the attack. "We're not warriors."

The training lasted the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. Once Brynjolf had gauged Aila's strength, he began to show her different fighting styles. How to attack aggressively, passively, how to disarm others, how to properly parry and counter-attack, and various other moves. All this, however, was more of a presentation of what Brynjolf had to teach, rather than an attempt to drill the entire art of war into her head in one session.

That particular day they only practiced generic swordplay. As evening came to an end and the Sun was nearly set, Aila was sweating from exertion. Her arms and legs were tired, and felt as if she was about to drop, but she had insisted on continuing the training. She new that if she wanted to get stronger, she would have to work hard.

Brynjolf swung low, and Aila spun away, bringing her sword down and hitting him in the shoulder. Brynjolf let out a muffled grunt and back away a few steps. "Good, good," he said. "Again."

He swung from the left this time, and Aila raised her sword to block accordingly, but then he did something unexpected. He twisted his hand, causing Aila to lose her grip on her sword and it clattered to the ground. Then he grabbed Aila's hand and pulled her closer to him... and kissed her.

Aila's immediate reaction was to push him away. "I... wha... you..." she sputtered, in some level of disbelief.

"Sorry, lass. I couldn't help myself," said Brynjolf.

"I... you... What in Oblivion what that?!"

"A kiss. Don't you know what a kiss is?"

"But why?"

"Why not? You're a very beautiful woman. I'd be a fool not to want you."

"Want... me? No, no, Brynjolf, you can't want me, and you can't kiss me!" For a moment, Aila thought she saw a deep sadness in his eyes.

"You don't feel the same," Brynjolf said. It wasn't a question.

"Brynjolf..." She would have to be careful with her words. "I... I'm already in a relationship."

"What? With who?"

"I... can't say."

"Is it Delvin? He's too old for you, Aila."

"No, it's not Delvin, but.."

"Then who? Rune? Cynric?"

"No, Brynjolf, please just..."

"Niruin, then? Of course, an elf."

"No, just listen to me, Bryn..."

"Then who is it, Aila?"

"It's none of your damn business!" screamed Aila. She tromped out of the training room and headed to her room, ignoring the protests of Bryjolf behind her. She slammed the door close and fell onto her bed. Her mind couldn't process it. Brynjolf wanted her. That wasn't supposed to happen. No one was supposed to want her except for Kathryn. And Aila could never be with him. Compared to Kathryn, everyone else was just... cold.

As if on cue, there came a soft knock at her door, and Kathryn walked in. The look on her face was a strange mix of concern and irritation. "Aila?" she said. "I saw you run out of the training room. Did something happen?"

"Just please don't freak out."

"Why would I freak out? What happened?"

"Brynjolf kissed me."

"What?!"

"It was so sudden," Aila said. "One moment we were practicing swordplay, and the next, he was kissing me. I don't know how it happened."

"How do you not know how it happened? Someone doesn't kiss you without you noticing!"

"I wasn't expecting it. I was focusing on fighting him and then he just kissed me!"

Kathryn muttered something under her breath, but Aila heard it nonetheless. "You probably kissed him back."

Aila felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. "How could you say that?"

Kathryn looked at her.

"After all we've been through together, you think I would betray you like that?"

"Aila... No, no, I didn't mean that, I know you wouldn't." She sat down on the bed next to Aila and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that."

"What is with you?" Aila asked. "You've been acting strange all day."

Kathryn shook her head. "I don't know. I can't sit still, and I feel on edge, like something is about to jump out and attack me. I haven't felt like this since the last time..." she stopped suddenly, She let go of Aila and made her way over to the mirror and looked into it. "Aila, what day is it?"

"Middas."

"Date, what's the date?"

"Um... sixteenth of Rain's Hand. Why?"

Kathryn moaned in despair. "How could I have forgotten?"

"Forgotten what? Kat, what's wrong?"

"I need to go."

"Go where? Why?"

"I just need to get..." Kathryn cried out suddenly. She clutched her chest with her hand as if it pained her.

"Kathryn! What's happening?"

She didn't answer her and dashed out the door. Aila chased after her. She made it to the Cistern where she saw her climbing the ladder of the secret entrance. Aila followed her up and into the city. Night had fallen. Aila called out to her, but Kathryn didn't answer. She followed her out the gate where she lost sight of her. "Excuse me," Aila said to the guard by the gate. "Did you see where that woman went?"

"Aye, she ran off into the woods," he said, pointing.

Aila thanked him and continued her pursuit. Why did Kathryn run off like that? It didn't make any sense. Then she looked up. The moons were full. Both of them. "Oh no..."

Aila heard a howl off in the distance.


	19. 18: Trust

Trust

There is a high level of difficultly in tracking werewolves. Despite their large frame, they move lightly on their feet and rarely leave tracks behind. They are tireless and fast; they could easily travel many leagues in one night. So had Aila not found Kathryn until morning, it would've been no surprise at all.

She looked for hours, calling her name until her voice was sore. Every once in a while, she heard a howling, far off in the distance. Whether it was Kathryn or a pack of regular wolves, Aila had no idea, yet she ran toward it anyway.

Aila thought she may have found a footprint of a large creature in a muddy patch. It looked like a wolf's, she thought, but it was much bigger. It had to be Kathryn. She had nothing else to go on, so she trudged on with hope. She called out again, but there was still no answer. Suddenly the trees gave way, and Aila found herself standing on an some sort of overlook. For a moment, Aila thought she was somehow back at Riverwood, at the Guardian Stones. But then she realized there was only one stone, and this one had neither a warrior, mage, nor thief imprinted on it, so it could not possibly be a Guardian stone. This one had only a hooded figure. The stone itself was sitting on the edge of the overlook, and as Aila moved closer, she marveled at what she saw.

Despite the dark, she could see miles around. Riften was down below. I looked so small from so high up. Far off to the North, Aila saw a faint light. She guessed that was Shor's Stone, the settlement Delvin had told her about. The clear sky added to the scene, the stars and the moons shining brightly in the sky. It was all so beautiful. Then the world started to spin, and Aila suddenly remembered her fear of heights. She stumbled and reached for the closest object to her for support.

The moment her hand touched the stone, it started to glow. Aila took a startled step back and watched in amazement. The hole that was carved into the stone was filled with a bright light and another shot up into the sky. Before Aila could even register what was happening, it stopped. As she stood there gawking at it, she heard movement behind her. She turned just in time to see a large, black, furry figure run into the trees. "Kathryn!" she yelled, and ran after her.

The stone was forgotten as Aila chased Kathryn. Every time she thought she lost her, she would show up again for a brief moment before disappearing once more. It happened so fast that Aila never got a clear view of her. When she came upon small clearing, her breath caught in her throat.

The biggest wolf Aila had ever seen was leaning over a pond, drinking. It was thrice the size of a normal wolf. It's paws were the size of Aila's head. It's fur was dark brown, almost black in color.

"Kathryn?"

The wolf lifted its head and looked at her with golden eyes. Aila suddenly realized she was afraid. She had no idea what to do. Kathryn had once told that her she didn't have full control over herself when she was turned. But Aila couldn't believe that she would ever hurt her. Even like this. Aila took a cautious step forward.

The wolf stared at her, unmoving, and Aila gradually closed the distance between them. When Aila was no more than a few meters away, it started to growl and she froze in place. It lifted itself up onto its hind legs, so that it was standing almost like a human. She could see three long scars on its torso. Aila stood still, her heart thumping in her chest. "Kathryn," she said. "It's me, Aila. You know me."

The wolf snarled at her and lowered itself back on all fours. It slowly crept forward, until it was right in front of her. It was so close, Aila could feel its hot breath on her face. She could hear it sniffing her, taking in her scent. Then the wolf changed. It's body became more relaxed, and it made a noise somewhere between a bark and a howl. Then it licked her face.

Too stunned to react, Aila watched the wolf as it paced around her, panting in glee. She brought a hand up to her face an wiped away a significant amount saliva off her face. "Eww." The wolf looked at her expectantly. It barked again.

Aila couldn't keep back a smile. Kathryn was acting almost like a dog. A very, large dog. Aila reached out and gingerly touched her on the head. Kathryn's only reaction was to push her head further into her hand. Aila smiled again. As she contemplated the softness of her fur, a thought hit her. She reached over and scratched her behind the ears. Kathryn started panting happily and Aila saw her tail swinging side to side. The sight of an enormous wolf being treated like a puppy was so comical, Aila had to laugh. She held Kathryn's head in her hands and pressed her forehead against hers.

"You're not as bad as you think you are, Kat."

Aila suddenly realized the irony of the nickname she had given her. It was hard to believe she had never noticed before.

Kathryn barked and trotted off the edge of the clearing, where she turned and barked again. She wanted Aila to follow. So she did. Kathryn led her through the woods to a small pile of rocks. There were various articles of clothing scattered about. Kathryn must have come here just before she turned. Aila went around gathering up her clothes and setting them down in one place. Kathryn meanwhile, was making herself more comfortable. She found a soft patch of dirt to lay in. Her front legs were crossed over each other, and she was resting her head on the ground, watching Aila's every move.

When she finished gathering up Kathryn's clothes, Aila seated herself on a rock and watched Kathryn watch her. They stared at each other for a while, until Aila started to shiver and yawn. The night was cold and dark, and she was tired. She wondered if Kathryn would mind if she laid next to her. She doubted it. Aila stood and moved toward her. She could feel her eyes on her as she sat cross-legged beside her. Aila could feel her presence, but it was different somehow. It was odd, and she didn't quite understand it. She still felt like Kathryn, but... a different Kathryn. Or rather, a part her that she always kept hidden. Aila never really noticed it until now, when it was so very... obvious.

She scooted herself closer to Kathryn and leaned against her. Kathryn continued to watch her. "Why do you hate this so much?" It occurred to Aila that she had never asked that before. She knew Kathryn hated being a werewolf, but she didn't know why. She touched her fur with her hand. "What is it about this part of you that makes you so resentful of it?" She didn't know if Kathryn could understand her, and if she could, she couldn't answer. "I still love you, even like this. I'll always love you." Aila felt her eyelids growing heavy. Kathryn was even warmer than usual, and her fur was soft like a pillow. The rhythmic rise and fall of her body as she breathed was soothing, and soon, Aila fell into a deep sleep.

Aila never learned of this, but they were visited many times during the night by many different animals. A rabbit entered the area before instantly dashing away at the sight of Kathryn. A few foxes were a bit more daring, but they too ran off when Kathryn let out a low growl. The most dangerous visit was a pack of wolves who were hunting for food. They had caught Aila's scent and followed it here. They emerged from the trees, six of them in all, led by the Alpha. At the sight of Kathryn, it growled out a challenge. Kathryn didn't answer, but she eyed them with intensity. Taking her silence for submission, the Alpha bolted forward, meaning to take Aila away. Before it even got close, Kathryn snarled fiercely in warning, and it faltered, but stayed it's ground. The other wolves crept closer, circling around Kathryn and Aila, waiting for their Alpha's command. They never got the chance.

When the Alpha charged forward, the moment it was in her range, Kathryn snapped her jaws around its neck and threw it to the ground. The Alpha whimpered and struggled to get to its feet, bleeding violently. Once it finally stood, it ran off whining. With their Alpha gone, the other wolves fled as well. No other creatures bothered them that night.

As dawn crept over the horizon, Aila woke with a start. She had thought she heard whimpering. She looked around and she saw Kathryn, still in her wolf form, pacing back and forth in the shadows, like she was afraid of the sun. "Kathryn?" Aila said. "What's wrong?" Kathryn whined loudly in response. Then Aila heard a _crack _and Kathryn's leg went rigid. She howled in pain as her body shifted back to her human form. Aila could do nothing but watch. She couldn't stand to see Kathryn in so much pain.

As Kathryn grew smaller, her howls turned to screams, and the sound became unbearable. Then, at last, the screaming stopped. Kathryn was lying face-first on the ground, unmoving. Aila rushed over to her and knelt beside her. She turned her onto her back and held her. She was still breathing, thank the Gods, she was only unconscious. Aila suddenly realized she was crying. She wiped away her tears and held Kathryn tighter.

"A... Aila," said a soft voice. "You're crushing me."

"Kathryn!" Aila exclaimed.

"Aila," Kathryn said again, "Can't... breath."

"Oh! Sorry!" She loosened her grip on her a bit.

Kathryn took a deep breath and let it out. Her eyes scanned the area around them. "Where are we? And what happened to my clothes?"

"You don't remember?" Aila asked.

She shook her head. "I remember running. I was trying to get away from Riften before... something bad happened. Then there was pain. So much pain. Every part of my body hurt. And then the pain stopped and I felt... free. Like I had been locked in a cage and I finally got loose." Ever so slowly, it dawned on her what happened. "Oh."

"Your clothes are over there," Aila said, pointing. "You were able to get them all off before you turned. Well, almost. The breast-band was torn in half."

Kathryn chuckled softly, but then she looked at Aila in a serious manner. "Why are you here, Aila?" she asked.

Aila didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

Kathryn made an effort to sit up. Once she was upright, she looked at Aila again. "Why are you here? Did you follow me when I left Riften?"

"Of course I did."

Kathryn sighed dejectedly. "Why did you do that? That was too dangerous."

"I couldn't just let you run off by yourself. I was worried about you."

"I doesn't matter! You could've been hurt!" Then she looked away from Aila, down at her lap and said a little more softly, "I could've hurt you."

"I don't believe that," Aila said sternly, and firmly believing it.

"How do you know?"

"I think it's a safe bet to make considering I was with you the whole night and you didn't do a thing!"

Kathryn looked like she was going to argue further, but then she stopped herself. "You were?"

"Yes."

Kathryn closed her eyes, as if trying to remember something important. "So that was you?" she said, almost to herself.

Aila sighed. She wrapped her arms around Kathryn's waist and pulled her close. "What exactly do you remember?" she asked.

"Not much," Kathryn said, mimicking Aila's actions. "Just bits and pieces. I remember something else being there with me. Something precious; that I needed to protect no matter what."

"Aww," Aila said. "That's sweet."

Kathryn smiled softly. "I suppose."

The two went silent, lost in each others embrace. After a while, Kathryn let go of Aila, stood, and went to gather up her clothes. Then she started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Aila asked.

"To the lake," Kathryn answered. "I need a bath, I feel filthy. You're welcome to join me." she said with a smirk.

Aila's mouth twisted into a grin, and she jumped after her. Several minutes of walking later, Aila realized that she had no idea where she was. She asked Kathryn if she know where she was going.

"No," she admitted. "But I can smell the water from here. I'm just following the scent."

"Really? Wow."

"Normally, I can't smell something from so far away," Kathryn continued, "But after a transformation, it's like my senses are on overdrive. Especially my sense of smell."

They walked in silence for several more minutes before Aila asked another question. "Aren't you embarrassed?"

"About what?"

"You're walking around in the middle of the woods completely naked!"

"What's there to be embarrassed about?" Kathryn said. "The only one around is you, and you've seen me naked plenty of times."

Aila felt her cheeks reddening at the statement, and she looked away.

Kathryn laughed. "You're getting embarrassed and you're not even the one who's nude."

When at last they found the lake, Kathryn dropped her clothes and dived right in. Aila, however, was hesitant. Kathryn called out to her. "Come on, Aila!"

"What if someone sees us?"

"Like who? Come on, don't be such a baby." She splashed, spraying Aila with water.

"Fine, then!" Aila said, and she started to unbuckle her armour. When all of her garments were off, both outer and under, she dipped her toes into the water. It was cold, but not freezing. She stepped further in, wading her way to Kathryn. When the water was shoulder-high, she leaped forward, gliding into Kathryn's arms. "Mmm... you're so warm." she said as the chill of the water began to recede.

"Aila," Kathryn said. "So... you were really with me the whole night?"

"Unless you ran off and came back after I fell asleep, then yes."

"And I didn't hurt you?"

"The only wound I suffered was when I skinned my knee after tripping on a tree branch looking for you."

"And you didn't run. When you saw me, you didn't run away."

"No," Aila said, horrified that she would ever think she would do something like that. "No, of course not. I love you. And I already know you're a werewolf. Just because I saw you as a wolf, doesn't mean I love you any less." Then Aila saw tears running down the sides of Kathryn's face. "Kat? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kathryn said smiling. "Everything is perfect."


	20. 19: Maven Black-Briar

Maven Black-Briar

"Where in Oblivion have you been?" Mercer demanded.

"I... uh... Kathryn... she... I," Aila stammered uselessly.

"Never mind! It doesn't matter. You're here now. Our most essential client had asked to see you."

"Client?" Aila wondered aloud. "Maven? Why would she want to see me?"

"For a job, what else?" Mercer patronized. "She's waiting in the Bee and Barb. Get going!"

"Yes, sir!" Aila dashed out of the Cistern as fast as her skinny legs would allow. Her mind wandered as she made her way to the inn. Why would Maven want to see her? She didn't know much about her. She saw her on the streets of Riften occasionally, but that was the extent of her interaction with her. But she did know this: those who went to see Maven Black-Briar either came back a little richer, or not at all.

When she came to the marketplace, Aila saw Brynjolf in his usual routine of selling phony products. Aila never understood how he was able to fool so many people with his theatrics.

She did her best to avoid his gaze and enter the inn unseen, unfortunately, things rarely go as planned. He set down whatever her was presenting and walked directly to her. "Brynjolf, I can't talk right now," Aila said.

"I'll only be a moment," he said. "I realize that I was out of line asking those questions. Who you are with is your choice and if you wish to keep it want secret, I will respect that choice."

"I... thank you, but I rally need to get going," Aila said. She was glad to hear Brynjolf's apology, but she would rather not keep Maven waiting any longer than she had to.

"Right," Brynjolf said. "I'm sure you have much to do." he returned to his stall.

Aila turned and entered the Bee and Barb. She immediately encountered hostility from the innkeeper. "You!" the Argonian spat. "You were with that bitch! You have some nerve coming back here."

Aila bit back a retort. She hated the insult directed at Kathryn, but she couldn't rally blame her. Besides, she wasn't here to argue. "Is Maven Black-Briar here?" she asked as calmly as possible.

The innkeeper's eyes narrowed at her question. "Upstairs... why?"

Aila ignored her and headed toward the stairs. With every step, her heart beat faster and faster. When she reached the top, she took a deep breath and turned the corner.

There, a woman sat, quietly scribbling an a parchment. If she took notice of Aila's arrival, she did not show it. "Um... you wished to see me?" Aila asked nervously. Maven did not answer. "Uh... I'm Aila. Mercer said that..."

"If the Guild believes that my word is not of immediate importance and thus forces me to wait to meet with a single member, then you shall receive similar treatment."

Aila stood there with her mouth half-open. She quickly shut it, for fear of embarrassing herself. Not sure what to do, she seated herself in a nearby chair. She sat quietly, twiddling her thumbs. She waited nearly an hour. Aila founder herself wishing she had brought a book to read. Though even if she did, she likely would have been too nervous to read it. Aila wondered what it was Maven was writing. A letter, perhaps? From the way she was writing, it could've been a history book. Her quill never left the pater, save to dip it in the ink-pot.

"So," Maven said so suddenly, Aila nearly fell out of her chair. "You're the best the Guild had to offer. You don't look like much to me."

_The best? _"I... I'm sorry you're disappointed."

Maven scoffed. "You see? I ask for the best thief in the guild and Mercer sends me a little girl."

Aila wasn't sure to feel more insulted or flattered. Maven didn't think her adequate for what ever it as she wanted, but at the same time, Mercer thought she was the best thief in the guild. Aila wondered when that happened. "You don't have faith in the Guild?" Aila asked.

"Faith? I don't have faith in anyone. All I care about is cause and effect. Did the job get done and was it done well?"

"Then... what is the job?"

"Yes, down to business. Perhaps you're not as useless as you look."

Aila humphed.

"I'm sure you've heard of Honningbrew Mead?" Maven said.

Aila shook her head. "I'm not really much of a drinker."

"Yes, well, Honningbrew Meadery is my main competitor. It's owned by a man named Sabjorn. He was never anything more than a nuisance, but somehow he's found the gold to expand. He had started to mass-produce his mead, selling it at an obscenely low price. Now my patrons have taken to buying Honningbrew instead of Black-Briar mead, which means that _I_ am losing profits."

"And you want me to... what?" Aila asked.

Maven looked at her with an obvious annoyance in her eye. "I was getting to that. Go to Whiterun. For now, all you need to know is that there is a man there named Mallus Maccius. He will tell you the rest."

Aila stood from her chair. "Yes, ma'am. Is there anything else?"

"No," Maven said, apparently pleased with her use of ma'am. "Remember, do this well and you'll be rewarded greatly."

Aila left the inn, ignoring the angry glares of Keerava as she did so. That had gone better than expected. Whiterun! She was going back to Whiterun. She would get to see Aela again. Aila realized she missed her. She had been a good friend to her and Kathryn. She had brought them together, in a way. Without her, it was possible that Kathryn and Aila would never have been a couple.

Then a thought struck her like a slap on the face. They had first left Whiterun with every intention of coming back. That was almost a month ago. Aila wondered if Skjor even bothered to send someone to look for them. Even if he did, they would've found a burned up camp and a dragon's skeleton. She wasn't sure what they would make of that, but she doubted it involved them surviving. Aila mentally kicked herself for never thinking to write.

But for now, she needed to speak with Kathryn. She entered the marketplace and made her way to Brynjolf.

"Aila," he said when he saw her approaching. "I didn't think you wanted to speak with me."

"Brynjolf... I'm sorry. I really am. But, I'm just not attracted to you."

Brynjolf smiled sadly. "I know. And I understand. Plus you've got you mystery lover to worry about."

Aila laughed softly. _Speaking of lovers... _"Have you seen Kathryn? I need to speak with her."

"Aye, she just left the Keep. Seeing the court wizard, I'd imagine. It's useful having a mage in the guild, you know. Those spells of hers help out quite a bit."

_I wonder if she got those books I asked for. _"Yes, but do you know where she is now?"

"Hmm..." He reached up and scratched his thin beard. "I think I saw her head out the gate."

"Out the gate? Why would she leave the city?"

"Afraid I don't know, lass."

"Ah well. Thanks anyway." Aila left him to his work. She wandered out of the city and stood outside the gate. Why would Kathryn leave the city? Where would she go? _Maybe..._ Aila headed off into the woods.

She wondered if she would be able to find it again, and for a frightening while, Aila was afraid she had gotten lost, but eventually she stumbled upon the Standing Stone. Sure enough, Kathryn was standing at the edge, looking out upon the world. Aila was about to call out to her, but then it occurred to her that Kathryn probably already know she was there. She heard her voice a few moments later, confirming her suspicions. "It's so beautiful," she said.

"It's even more so at night," Aila said.

"I'd like to see this during an aurora." She turned and smiled at Aila. "Come her. Come see."

"Um, no, I'm fine here."

"Oh come on, Aila. You have to get over your fear somehow." She held out her hand.

Aila took a deep breath and took a step forward. She grabbed Kathryn's hand, and Kathryn pulled her in front of her and wrapped her arms around Aila's waist. Aila looked out in front of her. The sight was incredible. She could see so much more in the daylight than the previous nigh. There were so many trees. Aila never realized how rugged the land was. It would rise and fall sharply in many different places. Skyrim truly was a harsh place, but it was also beautiful.

Unfortunately, Aila couldn't enjoy its beauty. She was too busy focusing on trying not to fall off the edge. The bottom of the cliff seemed to stretch farther and farther away. Despite her best efforts, her mind fulled with gruesome images of her stumbling over the edge and falling to her death. Kathryn held her tighter and tried to comfort her. "Don't be scared. Don't be frightened, you're not going to fall." Yet Aila began shaking and her legs buckled. The only thing keeping her up was Kathryn, who pulled her away from the overlook as soon as she collapsed. She set her down up against a tree. Aila gradually calmed sown and got her breathing under control. Kathryn sat next to her, still wrapped tightly around her. "I'm sorry Aila," she said.

"No, it's... It's alright," Aila said. "I'm fine."

"No, I shouldn't have made you..."

"Oh, shut up." Aila pulled herself closer to Kathryn and kissed her. "You didn't make me do anything."

Kathryn sighed. "How did you know I was up here, anyway?"

"Brynjolf told me that he saw you leave the city. This was the only place I could think of that you'd go."

"So you talked to him?" Kathryn asked.

"Yeah."

"What did he say?"

"He apologized for prying into my personal life," Aila told her.

"What about... you know?"

"Well, he didn't specifically say so, but I don't thing he's going to keep trying to court me."

"Well that's good," Kathryn said.

"Mm. I kind of feel bad for him, though. I mean, you would think he already had a lover."

"I guess we're just lucky."

Aila smiled. "I guess so." She leaned in once more and locked lips with Kathryn. After several minutes of their heated embrace, Aila pulled back suddenly. "Oh! I just remembered. We're going back to Whiterun!"

Kathryn looked at her questioningly. "We are?"

"Yes. I just got a job from Maven Black-Briar. She want me to got to Whiterun and do something for her."

"Oh. That's... that's great."

"You don't sound very exited. Why aren't you exited? We'll get to see Aela again."

"Aila... I can't go."

"You can't go? What do you mean you can't go?"

"Exactly that. Aila... I probably should've told you this already, but I've been falling behind in the Guild. I haven't been completing enough jobs and Mercer's really been on my back about it. He's been threatening to kick me out if I don't get it together."

"Why haven't you told me this?" Aila asked.

"I just didn't want to worry you. It's just... I can't afford to spend my time traveling."

Aila lay her head on Kathryn's chest. "But I don't want to go alone."

"I know," Kathryn said apologetically. "I'll make it up to you when you get back, Okay? I promise."

Aila only grumbled in answer.

"Oh, by the way, I have something for you," Kathryn said.

"You do?" Aila said. "What is it?"

"This." Kathryn reached into her armour and pulled out a couple of books. "One thing I love about this armour is that there's always a place to put something."

"You got the books I asked for!" Aila exclaimed.

"I told you I would, didn't I? You should have seen Wylandriah when I asked for them. Halfway to the bookcase she forgot what she was doing. I had to ask her two more times before she managed to keep her head long enough to give them to me."

Aila was only half listening. "I think I've seen this book before," she said.

"What's it called?" Kathryn asked.

"The Dragon King."

"Oh, that one. Wylandriah said it was more of a legend about a fairytale than an actual resource."

"But I've read it before. It seems familiar." She thought for a moment. "Oh! This it the same book I got in Whiterun the night I had that nightmare." She looked at Kathryn and smiled. "The night I fell in love with you."

"Really?" Kathryn said. "That was the exact night you fell in love with me?"

"Well, no. Probably not. But that was the night I first realized it."

Kathryn chuckled and turned her attention back the books. "I wonder if you really are the Dragonborn. How amazing would that be? My own little dragon."

Aila groaned. "Please don't start calling me that."

Kathryn smiled at her. "Too late."


	21. 20: Reading

Reading

The carriage bumped, jumped, rocked, and jerked. It was a horrible experience. Aila's rear was sore and she was very uncomfortable, but taking the carriage was faster than walking, and cheaper than renting a horse. With it, the time it took to travel to Whiterun would be cut in half. The driver occasionally tried to strike up a conversation, but Aila usually responded awkwardly with one-word answers and eventually he gave up.

Aila tried to occupy herself by reading the books that Kathryn had gotten her. The first was called The Book of the Dragonborn. It wrote about how the empire was ruled by dragonborn emperors. They were gifted by Akatosh with the "Dragon Blood", allowing the Dragonfires to burn, preventing the Daedra from walking on Nirn. But it also wrote of a prophecy that was connected to the Dragonborn. The prophecy was included, but it made no sense to Aila.

The second book was called The Dragon King. Aila had just begun reading it.

* * *

Dragons gave long since been a passion of mine. To me, they are majestic creatures. The ability of flight, their unusual use of magic, and especially their intelligence. Dragons are not the mindless beast many think they are. In fact, I daresay their intelligence surpassed any mortal in this land. They can and did speak, in their own language. I have even taken it upon myself to educate myself in this ancient language. Dragons are the ultimate beings. So naturally, when I heard of a man who ruled over these dragons, I immediately dismissed it as a fairy tale. But as I traveled, I began to hear these stories more and more. Then I began to notice striking similarities in them. Many ancient tribes (mostly of Skyrim) have legends of a time when dragons roamed the lands freely. One story intrigues me in particular. Why? Because there are two different versions of this story, both virtually identical save for one major difference. The story involves a hero who travels the land, overcoming many obstacles, like most any good children's story. At one point in the story, the hero is taken to a land known only as "Norsedov." Interestingly enough, the name itself is draconic for "Land of Dragonkind," or "Land of the Dragons." Anyway, within hours of entering this land, the hero is surrounded by several dragons. One particularly large, black dragon descends and lands in front of the hero. It is then that the hero notices that there is a man riding on the back of this massive dragon. The man dismounts and speaks to the hero.

And this, my friends, is where the stories separate. Version one: "I am Karsten," the man says. "You are trespassing upon my land. What is your purpose here?" He is lean and hard, but his voice is gentle, and the hero tells him the journey. "Very well," the man says once the hero has finished. "I will accept your tale. But know this: my land is merciless. You will find no sanctuary here. Conclude your business and leave this place. And do not return again." And with that, Karsten climbs atop the black dragon once more and flies away. In the second version, the hero is not so lucky. This time, the man wears a strange mask that obscures his face. When he speaks, he speak in a language foreign to the hero. "Zu'u Suleyk. Hi meyzvolaan voknau nori. Tinvaak nu, uv aus." The hero then explains that he cannot understand the man. The man is apparently irritated by the hero's statement. "Very well then," he says. "I am Suleyk. You are trespassing on my land. Leave now, or you may find death come sooner than you wish." The hero then explains that he cannot leave, and that he is on a mission. "Your petty mortal squabbles are of no concern of mine. Bo Nah Gut! Leave now, while you still can." The hero is adamant, and Suleyk seems amused by his persistence. "Alright then," he says, and then yell a word. "Krahdufeim!"

A pale dragon descends and lands next to them. It bows its head and says, "Thuri."

Suleyk turns to the hero. "You will fight this dovah. Should you win, I will grant permission to walk my lands."

"And should I lose?" the hero asks.

Suleyk is silent for a moment. "Hi fen dir. Did I not mention the fight was to the death?"

And so a battle begins. Needless to say, the hero wins and Suleyk keeps his promise. This book, however, is not a bout the hero and his journey, it is about dragons, so let us turn our attention the dragon the hero fights, specifically, the word he speaks. "Thur" translates to Overlord, and when combined with the suffix "-i" it becomes "Thuri" or "My Overlord." Those who are aware of dragon history will know the significance of the term Thuri. The dragons have one and only one overlord. The great dragon, Alduin the World-Eater. So for this dragon to call a man Thuri... It is unheard of. Another thing that strikes my interest is the name Suleyk itself. It is draconic for power. The only humans who with names in the dragon language were the dragon priests in the ancient Dragon Cult. The mask that is mentioned in the story is another clue, as the highest ranking dragon priests would be granted special masks by the dragons. Yet despite all my research, I have not found the name Suleyk at any point in history, dragon priest or no, save in these unreliable legends. And again, I wonder. Why are these stories so similar, yet some having the generous Karsten and others the ruthless Suleyk. Are they the same person? Did either of them ever exist? I believe so. You may think it a simple child's tale, as I first did, but after hearing the tale over and over again from all over Skyrim, I believe there once was a man, a man with power rivaling even Tiber Septim's, and that he was even able to tame dragons.

* * *

Aila set the book down and rubbed her eyes. Kathryn was right. It was fantasy. She found it hard to believe that a dragon would allow a man to ride it. _Kathryn... _Aila had only been gone three days and she already missed her. She hoped she would get this over with quickly. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could get back to her. At least now the trip was almost over. Aila could see Whiterun far off in the distance. Just a few more hours and she would arrive.

Fortunately, Aila would not have to wait much. At night, she found that sleep would not come as easily at it normally did. She put that down the absence of the warm arms that were usually wrapped tightly around her. But now, Aila's eyelids were heavy and her head was sagging, and the much-needed sleep soon took ahold of her.

She woke to the sound of the carriage driver's voice. "Hey! Lady! We've arrived."

"Huh? Oh, uh, right. Um, twenty gold, was it?"

"Aye."

Aila grabbed a small coinpurse and tossed it to him. She jumped out of the carriage and looked toward the walls of Whiterun. As she made her way toward the gate, she saw a small group of Khajiit settled sown by the side of the road. The sight of them sparked her interest. She had seen Khajiit before, back in the Imperial City, but she had always been frightened of them and never interacted with them. But then, that was years ago.

_No, _Aila thought. _That was just a few months ago. Five at most. _It was almost impossible to believe that in just five months, she had befriended a werewolf, joined the Companions, left the Companions, killed a dragon, and joined the Thieves' Guild. Aila couldn't help but wonder what else the Gods had in store for her.

Aila entered the Khajiit's camp and found a warm greeting. "Ah, welcome, welcome," said one Khajiit in rather fine clothing which, admittedly, looked odd on the cat-man. "This one is called Ri'saad. What is it that brings such a beauty to our caravan?" He held out his hand.

Aila felt her cheeks reddening as she took it. "Caravan? You're shopkeepers?" she asked.

"Of a sorts," Ri'saad answered. "The Nords do not let us inside their cities so instead, we travel from place to place, selling our wares. Perhaps you would like to buy?"

"Perhaps," Aila said. "Why is it you're no allowed inside the cities?"

"The Nords do not trust us," he said simply. "They think us thieves and skooma dealers. This one is clad that you do not seem to agree."

Aila gave him a friendly smile. "Well it wouldn't be fair to not even give you a chance, would it? Now, you wished to show me your wares?"

The cat-man smiled back. "Yes, we have many fine items for sale. Is there anything specific you have in mind?"

"Hmm... Well, I need a new blade." She pulled out her dagger and show it to him. It was worn out and had stared to rust. "Do you have any daggers for sale?"

"Ah, yes. Ri'saad knows just what you need." He opened up a nearby chest and rummaged through it. "Ah, here it is." He grabbed a piece of cloth and brought it to Aila. He placed it in her hands.

"What's this?" Aila asked.

"Unwrap it."

Aila gingerly folded back the ends of the cloth until she saw the glimmer of metal. "Oh, wow."

"This one knew you would like it. The dagger is of elven make. Suitable for one such as yourself."

"Yes, I suppose so. How much will it cost?"

"One hundred and twenty septims," said Ri'saad.

"One hundred and twenty septims? For a dagger?"

"This dagger is of an extremely high quality. It was crafted by one of the best blacksmiths this caravan has been fortunate enough to come across."

"I don't know..."

"How abut this: for your kindness, Ri'saad will make the price one hundred."

Aila laughed. "Alright, alright. Here." She handed him two coinpurses. "Fifty, and fifty. There, one hundred." In all honesty, Aila had no idea whether or not a hundred gold was a fair price, but it didn't really matter. She needed a new blade and she could always just make the money back. "Now, I really must get going."

"Of course. Ri'saad thanks you for your business."

Aila inclined her head in farewell and continued her way to the gate. Once there, she receive the usual guard greeting of "Welcome to Whiterun. Keep your nose clean while you're here, elf" and entered the city. Everything looked exactly as she remembered it. Apparently nothing had changed while she was gone. Not that she had expected it to. She headed first to the Bannered Mare. She was going to need a room. Halfway there, she heard a shout.

"You!" Aila turned toward the voice and saw Aela bounding after her. The moment she was close enough, she punched Aila in the arm.

"Oww..." Aila groaned, rubbing her arm.

"You little harlot!" Aela continued. "We all thought you were dead!"

"S-sorry."

"Sorry? You go missing or a month and all you have to say is sorry? Where's Kathryn? Isn't she with you?"

"No, Kathryn is back in Riften. She couldn't come."

"Riften," Aela said. "So that's where you've been."

"Well, we were sent there."

"I didn't even think you made it that far. We found your camp, but it had been completely demolished. Burned to the ground. And then, there was that skeleton..."

"You mean the dragon skeleton?" Aila asked.

"Yes... I suppose it was a dragon's. What in Oblivion happened, Aila?"

"Well... we were attacked... by a dragon... and we managed to kill it and continued to Riften."

"You killed a dragon," Aela said, incredulous. "by yourselves?"

"It's not like it was easy." Aila sighed. "Look, Aela, I'm only going to be in Whiterun for a little while. Kathryn and I have found something else for us. Something we're actually good at. We're not coming back to the Companions."

"Something else?" Aela questioned. "What did you find?"

"That's not important. Can you just tell Kodlak that we wont be coming back?"

Aela suddenly looked very sad. "Aila... Kodlak's dead.

"What? How?"

"The Silver-Hand. They got bold one night and decided to attack us at Jorrvaskr."

'The Silver-Hand?" Aila asked. "Who are they?"

"They're a bunch of werewolf hunters. They don't like werewolves, so they don't like the Companions."

"Oh. Aela, I' sorry. I know he was like a father to you."

"He was like a father to us all," Aela said.

"Who's the Harbinger now?" Ail asked.

"Skjor." There was a short moment of silence. Then, "Aila, when you go back, tell Kathryn to be careful. If word gets back to the Silver-Hand that there is a werewolf in Riften, they will hunt her down."

"I will." There was no way Aila would let anyone hurt Kathryn. Then something occurred to Aila. "By the way, how did you know I was here so quickly?"

Aela reached up and tapped her nose. "I recognized your scent the moment you stepped into the city."

"My scent?" What do I smell like?"

Aela sniffed. "Sort of like pine needles. It's kind of pleasant, actually."

"Oh, good. For a moment I thought you were going to say I smell like a skeever, or something."

Aela laughed. "No, not at all."

"Yes, well," Aila said. "I have to go. There's something I need to do. It's good seeing you again."

"It's good knowing you're alive. I'll see you around." Aila started to leave, but then Aela called out to her again. "You know, you seem different, Aila. More sure of yourself. It's a nice change."

Aila smiled at her. "Thanks."

* * *

**A/****N: **Well, there you go. Chapter twenty. I realize not a lot has been happening lately, so I'll try to find something interesting for Aila to do. In the meantime, Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think. I love hearing from you guys.


	22. 21: Honningbrew Meadery

Honningbrew Meadery

"Are you Mallus?" Aila asked.

"Who wants to know?" replies the pale man.

Aila had lucked out. After she rented her room, she asked the innkeeper if she knew where she could find a man named Mallus Maccius. After a moment of thinking, she told for that he was here at the inn. And pointed to a room. Aila thanked her and entered the room. She saw a pale man with dark hair sitting in a chair quietly drinking some mead.

"Maven sent me," Aila said.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Maven, huh? In that case, take a seat."

Aila did as he asked and sat down across from him. She crossed her legs and said, "So you are Mallus."

"Aye," he answered. He went quiet for a moment. Aila felt his eyes on her and she got the feeling he was silently judging her. But whether it was on her skills as a thief or something else entirely, she wasn't sure. Beginning to feel uncomfortable, Aila cleared her throat. "Maven said that you would explain to me what I am to do."

"Yes, of course. I trust she told you the basics?"

Aila nodded. "Sabjorn is mass-producing his mead and hurting Maven's business."

Mallus grunted in agreement. "Good, that saves me some explaining. Now, I'm sure Maven would like for you to find out who exactly supplied Sabjorn with the gold to mass-produce, but more importantly than that, we need to put him out of business."

"Of course," Aila said. "How else would Maven deal with competition than to get rid of it entirely?"

Mallus laughed. "How, indeed?"

"So how are we going to do it?" Aila asked.

"We're going to poison the mead," Mallus said.

"Poison?"

"Don't worry, it's not lethal. Just enough to put someone out of action for a while. That someone being the captain of the guard."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"It's quite simple, really. Sabjorn's holding a mead tasting for the captain later today. There's a tunnel under the meadery that leads to the boiler room. If you can get in there and poison the mead before the tasting, then when the captain drinks the mead Sabjorn will be arrested for, well, poisoning."

"Oh," Aila said. "Clever. I suppose you've got the poison?"

"No, and that's the beauty of the whole plan. Sabjorn is going to give it to you."

"Why would he do that?"

"It's no secret the meadery is infested with skeevers. If you were to happen by and offer him a hand..."

"He'll give me the poison to clear out the infestation," Aila finished.

"Exactly. And make sure you do poison the skeever nest. After Sabjorn's gone, Maven wants to turn the place over to the Black-Briars.

"Of course."

Mallus nodded in agreement. "Of course."

Aila stood from her chair and stretched out her arms. "Well, I's better get started then. Is there any thing else I need to know?"

"No, nothing."

"Then I'm off." Aila left the room. She headed up to her own room that she had rented. It was the same room as the one she spent that one night with Kathryn. Aila wished she was here.

She sighed and grabbed her bow off the bed, slinging it over her shoulder and strapping the quiver to her back. She left the room and headed out of the inn. As a bombardment of smells of fresh meat and ripe fruit from the market place hit her, she was overcome with a sudden craving. She headed over to the woman who was tending the stall with various fruits and vegetables. She pick a particularly ripe-looking apple and set it on the counter. "May I please buy this?" she asked.

"Just one?" the woman behind the counter said. "Most people buy in bunches."

"Well I'm not that hungry," Aila said.

The woman chuckled. "That'll be five gold."

Aila paid her and took the apple. "Thank you," she said as she left. She held the apple in her hands and looked at it a moment before biting into it. "Mmm, so good." Aila left the city through the goat and made her way to the meadery, munching on her apple all the while. When at last she came upon it, she one last bite and tossed the apple aside. She pulled her hood over her head and entered.

Inside, she saw a man violently pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. "Where is that good-for-nothing... Mallus!" he shouted when he noticed Aila enter. "Oh. What do you want?"

"It looks like you have a bit of a problem," Aila said, gesturing to the dead skeever on the ground.

"Yes, a problem that will soon be rectified. Just as soon as I find that sorry excuse for a servant Mallus," the man who could only be Sabjorn said.

"Maybe I could help," Aila suggested.

"Oh? And I suppose you'd do this out of the kindness of your heart?" Sabjorn said sarcastically.

"Well," Aila said. "A little incentive wouldn't hurt."

Sabjorn let out a sigh. "Oh, very well. Sixty gold to get rid of the infestation.

Aila smiled at him. "Done."

"Good. Here..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial and a key. "Use this to get into the basement. The nest is somewhere down there. I was going to have Mallus do it, but her seems to have run off. Though, you'll likely do a better job than him anyway. The basement is through that door. And do hurry. I have a tasting in a few hours. I would like you to be finished before then."

"Of course," Aila said, and headed for the door. When she was on the other side, she pondered over her conversation. Sabjorn had accepted her help readily. He didn't even know who she was. She was just some random girl who wandered in. He must have been truly desperate for help.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a skeever. It jumped at her and she kicked it away, startled. Aila quickly grabbed her bow and shot it as it came at her again. _Ugh. I hate skeevers._

Aila looked around the basement. It was a pretty basic cellar. There were numerous traps set up to catch the skeevers, most of which were set up near a large hole in the wall. There were also a few dead skeevers, caught between the teeth of the traps. Aila carefully stepped over the traps, holding her bow tightly in hand in case she encountered any more skeevers.

The tunnel was twice as wide as Aila and about a foot taller. Skeevers were constantly jumping out at Aila, but she was fast enough with her bow that none of them were able to get close.

Then the tunnel opened up to a large cavern. There were several skeevers all huddled together on the other side from were Aila was standing. They collectively turned to look at her and started to charge in her direction.

"Uh oh."

Aila was able to shoot down a number of them before they reached her, but once they were close, her bow was practically useless. She threw it to the side and pulled out her daggers; the rusted iron one in her left hand, and the new elven one in her right. The skeevers were snarling and biting at her legs and the vest tactic seemed to be to kick them away, though they could jump surprisingly high and Aila would try to stab at them. One by one, the snarling and the biting stopped until all the skeevers lay dead on the floor, and Aila stood in the middle of them. She looked around her and shivered in disgust. While stepping over the dead thing to get to the nest, Aila felt a small pain in her leg. When she knelt down to inspect it, she discovered that one of the skeevers had managed to tear through her armour. _I hope I don't get some disease, _Aila thought. She continued to the nest and grabbed the vial of poison. She uncorked and dripped it over the nest. She left about half of it in the vial. It was just after she replaced the cork when she saw a bright flash of light and her body erupted in pain. It passed quickly, leaving her on her knees. Then she heard a shout.

"You! You killed all my skeevers! You'll pay for that!"

Aila looked up and saw a half-naked man standing before her. The only clothing he was wearing was some sort of fur around his waist. His hands were out in front of him and were crackling with a blue light. Little bolts of electricity were jumping between his fingers. He raised one hand and Aila could guess what he was about to do. She dived out-of-the-way just as a bolt of lightning struck where she was a moment ago. Wh_o is this guy?_ Aila thought._ What's he doing here? _She tried again to jump away as the man prepared another bolt, but this time she wasn't fast enough, and she cried out as pain shot through her arm. She staggered for a moment and, as the pain started to fade, she instinctively reached for her bow, but found nothing. _Oh, right. _She had dropped it when the skeevers attacked. She saw it on the ground just a little ways away from the man.

Aila pulled out her daggers and faced him. The man only laughed. "You think you can beat me? I'll show you. I'll show them all!"

_What in Oblivion are you talking about? _Aila didn't bother trying to figure it out. She charged forward, diving to one side when he fired another bolt, and cut him in the leg.

The man grunted in pain and yelled. "You little cunt!"

"Do you have to be so vulgar?" Aila was surprised at how her own voice sounded. It sounded calm, confident almost, and not at all how she felt. She could think of only two scenarios in which this could end, and both scared her equally.

The mage pulled out his own dagger and tried to attack Aila with it, though it was clear he had never used it before, the way he was flailing around with it. But then again, Aila wasn't too much further ahead of him. She blocked every swing of his blade, but she couldn't manage to land any of her own. Then she heard a crackling noise, and she saw another bright flash of light, The bolt hit her square in the chest. She fell to the floor, her body convulsing with pain. She struggled to her feet, but her whole body ached. She felt like she was going to vomit. She felt something force its way out her throat, but when she opened her mouth nothing came out. Instead, she did something she wasn't expecting.

"SU!"

She jumped to her feet with a new-found energy and resumed her attack on the mage. She found herself able to move much faster than before, and it seemed easier to predict the mage's movements. He just barely managed to block her first two attacks, and on the third Aila again heard the crackling of electricity. She grabbed the mage's harm and shoved it aside just as a lightning bolt shot from his palm, and that's when she saw her chance. She took it.

Aila thrust her hand forward, imbedding the dagger in his chest. The mage's eyes widened and he tried to speak, but the only thing that came out was a small cry. Aila was forced to watch as he fell to the ground a died at her feet.

_Oh Gods, not again, _Aila thought. _No, I had to. It was him or me, I didn't have a choice. _The thought didn't make her feel much better. She took a deep breath an steadied herself. She had just killed a man. Again. But if she hadn't, he would've killed her. Aila looked down at him. Who was he, anyway? Why was he down here? She briefly considered pulling her dagger out of his chest, but quickly decided against it.

It took a moment for her to remember what she was here for. _Mead, right. Poison the mead. _ She looked around the cavern. There was one tunnel, which was he on she came from, and another, which she assumed lead to the boilery. She had already poisoned the nest, so she headed through the tunnel.

Just a few steps into it, she stopped. There was something else. Something she missed. Aila ran back to the cavern. She looked around and face-palmed when she saw it. She picked her bow up off the ground and slung it on across her back. She started toward the tunnel once more, but stopped again. There was more still. Part of her just wanted to leave, to get as far away from the corpse as she could, but another part wouldn't let her. Not until she had gotten it. But gotten what? She had her bow, her elven dagger was tucked away in her armour. What was it?

She felt it calling to her. She closed her eyes and focused on the feeling. The more she focused on it, the more she realized what it was. Her eyes snapped open and she turned her head to the cavern wall and saw it. Those strange marking that burned into her eyes, blinding her, just like the ones on the tree back at Goldenglow. This time, she didn't freak out as the word filled her mind.

_Feim. Fade._

As the word faded from her mind, Aila wondered how it got here. That strange man had put it here, she knew, but when? Before she entered the meadery? If so, how did he know she would be her? _He's probably watching me right now. _ Aila shook her head of those thoughts. She didn't want to think about that.

At last, Aila went through the tunnel and continued to make her way to the boilery. Her were no more skeever to bother her, and when she finally reached the room, she let out a sigh of relief. She went to the nearest storage vat and popped open the lid. She poured the remainder of the poison in it and slammed the lid shut._ That should not have been as difficult as it was, _Aila complained as she left the boiler room. She exited through the outside door rather than going back through the tunnel. Then she simply walked back to the main entrance.

Sabjorn was sweeping the floor when she entered. "Ah, you're back," he said. "I trust you've done what I asked?"

"Yes, yes," Aila said.

"Good." He grabbed a coinpurse off the counter and handed it to Aila. "Your payment."

"Yeah. Thanks." Aila pocketed the purse and left. She went back into Whiterun and to the Bannered Mare. Luckily, Mallus was still there. Aila stood in front of him, crossing her arms.

Mallus looked at her. "I take it you have completed your mission."

"You seem to have neglected to mention the maniac living in those tunnels." Aila said.

Mallus smirked. "Details like that are bad for business. You took care of him, I presume?"

"I... Yes. But you could've warned me. Do you have any idea what I feels like to be electrocuted? My arm is still numb!"

"You'll be fine, I'm sure. Now, come see me again in a few hours. I'm going to try and find everything I can about Sabjorn's supplier. I'll give you what I find then.

"Fine." Aila left and headed to her own room. She shut the door behind her and fell onto the bed. Gods, she missed Kathryn.


	23. 22: Caught

Caught

"A toast!" Aela exclaimed, raising her mug. The other companions in Jorrvaskr did the same. "To Sabjorn! His mead will be missed!"

The mead hall thundered as the party-goers cheered and drank to the toast. Aila had her own mug to raise, but she didn't drink with the rest. She wasn't even really sure why she was here. The Companions were having some sort of event in honour of Sabjorn. Actually, it was more in honour of his mead. Many companions thought his mead to be some of the best in Skyrim. Since Sabjorn had gone to jail, they wouldn't be able to acquire his mead anymore, so they were holding a sort of farewell party. For some reason, Aila had been invited. She assumed it was because she knew Aela, though, if any of them knew that Aila was the one who put Sabjorn in jail this would be a very different kind of event.

Aela saw Aila set her mug down on the table, not taking a drink. "Come, Aila," she said. "Drink with us. We have a long night ahead of us, and the mead will make it all the merrier."

"Oh, I just took it to be polite. I don't really drink," Aila said.

"Don't drink? Well, we're going to have to change that. Go on, just have a sip."

Aila sighed. "Alright, fine." She lifted the mug to her lips and hesitantly let the liquid flow into her mouth. "Blech! How do you find that at all appealing?"

Aela laughed. "You have no stomach for alcohol, I can tell. You'll be drunk after one mug!"

"Well," Aila said, setting her mug down. "I don't plan on drinking one mug, or any at all for that matter."

Aela shrugged. "Suit yourself. Shame, though. I'd have liked to see you drunk."

"I'm sure you would."

Aela left to go enjoy herself with more eager members. Aila sat for a moment, still trying to figure out why she was here. Deciding it didn't really matter, she reached into her armour and pulled out a letter. Mallus had given it to her a bit before the party. It was the only thing, he said, that had any clue as to Sabjorn's supplier. The only problem was, it was almost completely useless. The only thing that seemed relevant was a symbol of a dagger. Aila swore she had seen it before, but she couldn't remember where. She sighed and place it back in her armour, instead taking out a small scroll. Delvin gave it to her before she left Riften. It contained a name, address, and item she was supposed to steal. According to the scroll, she was to take a ring from a woman named Carlotta Valentia, who lived somewhere in the Wind District.

"What's that you're reading?" Aila crumpled the paper and nearly fell out of hr chair. "Vilkas! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Vilkas chuckled. "My bad. But what was it you were reading? I thought I saw Carlotta's name."

"You know her?"

"Aye, everyone does. She runs a stall in the market."

"Do you know where she lives?" he nodded. "Just behind the temple. Why?"

"Just wondering. You know what? I think I'm going to get going."

"So soon? But the night's just begun."

"Actually it began three hours ago. I mean, who has a party so late into the night?" Aila started toward the doors of Jorrvaskr. "See you, Vilkas." Aila made like she was heading to the Bannered Mare, but then she turned and made her way to Carlotta's house. When she found what she thought was it, she stopped and looked to see if anyone was around, when she saw that no one was, she knelt in front of the door. She grabbed a lockpick from her armour and set it in the lock. I clicked open easily. She stepped inside and silently shut the door behind her.

Embers were still burning in the fire pit, but there was no one in the downstairs. Aila stood still and listened. She didn't hear anything. The homeowner was likely asleep. She crept ever so slowly to the stairs and climbed up. One thing she learned about sneaking in someone's house is that it never pays to rush. It wasn't worth mucking up and getting caught. The problem with Delvin's jobs is that they usually involved close interactions with the target.

When she reached the top, Aila saw the woman who owned the house, sleeping on the bed. As she tip-toed closer, Aila noticed someone else in the bed; a child. Aila suddenly felt very intrusive, which technically, is what she was supposed to be feeling, but she wasn't about to be scolded by Mercer for not completing a job. This wasn't the first time she had been in someone's house while they were still in it.

The scroll said that Carlotta always wore her ring around her finger, but Aila didn't see it. She had either made a horrible mistake and came to the wrong house, or Carlotta removed the ring before sleeping. Aila thought the latter. The scroll gave information on Carlotta, stating that she was a single mother who worked a stall selling produce to support herself and her daughter Mila. Seeing as there was no one else in the house, coupled with the fact that Aila realized this was the woman who sold her the apple earlier that day, it must have been her.

Aila looked around the room, searching for a place it could be. Her first thought was a chest at the foot of the bed. She quietly knelt in front of it, lifting up the lid. It wasn't locked, luckily. Aila didn't want to deal with the noise of the lock. But then, the chest was filled with junk. She could rummage through it, but again, there as the noise problem. Besides, Aila doubted someone would leave a precious ring in here. She closed the lid and looked around some more, still keeping a watchful eye on the mother and daughter. Aila went to the end table by the bed and pulled open the drawer, smiling when she saw what was inside. Aila picked up the ring and looked at it. It was just as the scroll described; silver with a blue sapphire in the middle. Aila pocketed it and made to leave, resetting the lock on the door as she did so. She shut the door, and froze in place when she saw who was on the other side.

"What in Oblivion are you doing, Aila?" Aela demanded.

"Um... I… uh..."

"Well? Answer me. What were you doing in Carlotta's house?"

"Uh... How did you know I was here?"

"Don't change the subject. Did you break in?"

"I... Uh..." Damn. Aila didn't see any way out of this. "Yes," she admitted.

"Why? What possible reason could you have for breaking into someone's house?"

"It's... for a job."

"A job? That's your excuse? It was for a job? When did you become a thief, Aila?"

"I... What does it matter? I'm not hurting anybody."

"Not hurting anyone? What about the people you're stealing from?"

"It's one lousy ring! Their lives aren't going to come crashing down because they lost one stupid ring!" Aila wasn't sure why, but she was feeling angry.

"It doesn't matter, Aila. I can't condone this."

"Aela, you don't know what it's like! Living your whole life as just... nothing. I've finally found something I do well and get recognized for it. Kathryn too. Just because it isn't the most reputable of things doesn't mean I'm going to stop," Aila took a deep breath and let it out. "Look, I'm not asking for your permission. Condemn me all you want, it's not going to change anything."

"Aila, I can't just let you..."

"I'm heading back Riften tomorrow morning," Aila interrupted. "I did what I came to do, I'm dead tired, and more than anything, I miss Kathryn. So goodnight."

But Aela was persistent. "I'm sorry, Aila but... I'm going to have to report you to the guards."

Aila let out a frustrated groan. "Why can't you just... just..." her voice trailed off.

"What? Just what?"

Aila didn't hear her. _No, _she was thinking. _No, not that. Anything but that._

"Aila?" Aela said, noticing the look of distress on her face. "What is it?"

"Run."

"What?"

"Run. We need to run. Get away before it comes."

"Before what comes? Aila, what are you talking about?"

Just then a bell rang. It was loud, so much so it hurt Aila's ears, but she found it preferable to the alternative. It rang again and again, and then the streets started to fill with guards rushing to the gates. Aela called to one as he passed by. "What in Oblivion is going on?" she asked.

"Whiterun's under attack," he said. Then he seemed to notice who she was. "You're Aela the Huntress of the Companions, aren't you? You should come with us. We need all the help we can get."

"Why, what's attacking?"

"A dragon."


	24. 23: Anger

Anger

Aela rushed off to Jorrvaskr to get the other Companions, leaving Aila on her own. She hugged herself, desperately trying to stop her flow of tears, with some amount of success. _I'll be fine, _Aila said to herself. _There's a dragon attacking, but I'll be fine. There are guards. They'll kill it. _Aila heard a roar a ways away. The sound made her shiver. _Aela and the others too. They'll kill it, I don't need to go anywhere near it. _So for reasons she would never be able to understand, Aila ran toward it.

The dragon was just outside the walls. She saw it flying around, diving at the guards that were surrounding it. They all had their bows out and were firing at it, but the arrows bounded off it's scales harmlessly. _Aim for its wings! _Aila thought. The dragon spewed fire on the group of guards. Aila heard many of them scream and fall to the ground dead, joining the others that were already there. _They're going to die. _Aila realized. They weren't prepared. Even if they were, they were fighting a dragon. Most of them likely doubted dragons really even existed until this moment.

Aila felt someone touch her shoulder and she spun around, pulling out her dagger. She lowered her hand and sighed in relief when she saw it was only Aela. A number of the other Companions were with her. "You should head back inside," Aela said. "It's too dangerous out here for you.

"Aela, do you think you can kill that dragon?" Aila asked.

"Of course! We'll drive that beast into-"

"The truth."

Aela was silent for a moment. She looked over to the dragon. It had just torn a guard apart with it's claws. "I don't know. Truthfully, Aila, I'm scared. I've never even seen a dragon before, I don't know if I can kill one."

"That's what I thought." Aila looked at the dragon, thinking. It breathed fire, killing more guards. "This is too much," she said. Aela looked at her questioningly. "This is all too much, too fast. And it's all his fault. If it wasn't for him that dragon wouldn't even be here." Aila's fear gave in to anger.

Aela was lost. "What are you on about, Aila?"

Aila ignored her. She grabbed her bow and darted toward the dragon. _This is all his fault. He keeps meddling with my life. I hate him. He nearly killed Kathryn and me before, and now he's doing the same thing. _She nocked an arrow and aimed at the flying figure._ I hate him._

"_SU!_"

The dragon's attention was pulled away form the guards around it and directly to her. It roared and turned to fly in her direction. Aila fired arrow after arrow at it. Some missed, some just bounced off its scaled, but many pierced its wings, as she had hoped. The dragon roared again and staggered through the air. With its wings filled with holes, it came crashing to the ground. Aila neared upon it just as it was regaining its balance. It was making an odd noise that almost sounded like laughter. "_Pruzah thu'um,_" it said to her. "Your voice is strong for one so small. Perhaps _Thuri_ will make use of you after all."

Aila tightened her grip on her bow. She nocked an arrow and aimed at its head. "I want nothing to do with your master."

"_Dez._ That is not a decision to be made by you." It opened its mouth. To roar, to breathe fire, or maybe just to talk some more, it didn't matter. Aila felt an anger in her, so much so that it burned away her fear, and the dragon had just given her and opening.

She shot the arrow directly into its throat. The dragon roared in pain. It looked at her and tried to bite her, but Aila was too fast for it. She dived forward, landing just beneath the dragon. Looking up at its underbelly, Aila noticed that its scales were much thinner than the rest. She grabbed her dagger and thrust it between the scales. The dragon cried out and tried to fly away. It made it a few feet before crashing back down. Aila heard it growling. "_Ruth Strun Bah!_ Curse you mortals and your _qiilaanne._"

Aila stayed put and watched as the dragon vainly tried again to fly. She looked for another weak point, a spot she could exploit, but she found none. The only ones seemed to be its mouth and its underbelly. She went to a nearby dead guard and grabbed the sword that was near him. When she turned back to the dragon, she aw it engaged with several other warriors. Aela had decided to join the fight.

Before she could be relieved for their help, she saw that they weren't actually helping at all. As skilled of warriors they might be, they had no idea how to fight a dragon, even less so than Aila. Their swords were uselessly clanging against its scales, and action that did little more than annoy the dragon. It responded by lifting up its head and speaking a word.

Aila saw it coming. She tried to warn them, yelled at them to get out of the way, but none of them heard her. The dragon let out a spout of fire, aimed at the Companions. Most of them did manage to move out of the way in time. A couple, however, weren't so lucky, and Aela was one of them. She received the least of it, only singing her arm as she dived out of the way. Athis, the Dark Elf, too it head on. No mater how heat-resistant a Dark Elf may be, no one could survive an attack like that, and Athis was no exception.

Aila didn't know Athis well, but that didn't stop her rage from intensifying as she heard his screams. She ran toward the dragon, sword and dagger in hand, taking advantage of its distraction. She tried to hit it from behind and take it by surprise, but unfortunately, the dragon noticed her coming. It beat its great wings, not to fly, but to hover. It turned itself around and reached out with its claws, trying to grab her. Aila jumped back just before she was ensnared, but not before one of its talons managed to dig into her side. Aila cried out, falling to her knees. But at the same time, she saw an opportunity. One she wasn't likely to see again.

She ignored her pain as best she could and picked herself up, and threw herself at the dragon. The sword went in first, as it was longer, and when the dagger went in, she dragged it across the dragon's underbelly. Blood came pouring out of the wounds she had created, covering her hands. The dragon was reeling in pain. Its roars were deafening. Aila pulled her dagger back out, leaving the sword. She jumped away from it before it fell on top of her and watched its life fade away. She clutched her side, waiting to see if that strange event would happen again. Sure enough, the dead dragon started to burn inexplicably. A light began radiating from it, enveloping Aila. But this time, she felt different. The relief she felt last time didn't come. Her wound wasn't healing. As the light faded, and all of Aila's anger taken out on the now-dead dragon, her fear began to return. Not of the dragon, but of her wound. _Why didn't it heal me like last time. _It hurt. A lot. She pressed on it with her hands, trying to stop the flow of blood. She heard people surrounding her, murmuring.

"Dragonborn!"

"But I thought Damon was the Dragonborn."

"You saw her, she must be."

Aila saw Aela emerge from the crowd, holding on to her burned arm. "Aila..." she said. "I... I don't believe it..."

"Stupid," Aila said weakly. "You should have just..." Her vision began to blur. "Stayed... away..." She blacked out.


	25. 24: Recovery

**A/N: **Ah, supporting characters. How I loathe you.

Also, I apologize in advance if anyone gets confused over Aila and Aela. Believe me, I did not mean to make their names so similar.

* * *

Recovery

Aila heard a soft humming noise. The sound seemed to be coming from somewhere near her, but she couldn't be sure where. And she felt light-headed. The more time passed the more she became aware of a pain in her side. Aila tried to open her eyes. It was more difficult than it should have been. Her body didn't want to respond. More time passed. The humming stopped abruptly. The pain in her side grew slightly, and Aila felt something being pressed against it. Then the feeling left her, and she felt nothing once again.

The next thing she could remember was waking up in a temple. She was laying on a padded stone bed. She heard the gentle trickle of water. Aila struggled to get up, stopping when the pain in her side became too much. Then Aila noticed that she wasn't wearing her Guild armour. Instead, she was in a simple tunic and breeches. She lifted up her tunic and saw a patch covering her side. Aila tried again to get up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, rested a moment, and pushed herself to her feet. A wave of dizziness came over her and she sat back down. Her actions seemed to attract the attention of a woman in tanned robes, as she came rushing over to her.

"Whoa, there. You should be resting. Wouldn't want your wound to open back up, would we?"

"Who are you?" Aila asked.

"Oh, me?" The woman touched her hood and tilted her head. "My name's Danica Pure-Spring. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dragonborn."

Ala flinched at the title. "Please don't call me that." There was no denying it, everyone saw what happened outside of Whiterun. But still, she wasn't really comfortable with the fact.

"No?" Danica said. "Then what would you have me call you?"

"Aila."

"Aila…?"

"Just Aila."

"Well then Aila, I'd advise you to get back in bed. You took quite a hit back there. I'll be a while before you're well enough to be up and about."

"How long is a while?" Aila asked.

"Oh, I'd say about three or four days."

"What!? I can't wait that long!"

"Are you in some sort of hurry?" Danica asked.

"I just... I need to see..." _I need to see Kathryn. _"Oh, never mind."

Danica smiled at her. "Then in that case, bed."

Aila sighed and lay back down. Danica lifted up Aila's tunic so she could attend to her wound. She peeled back the patch, revealing it. Her hand began to glow and she placed them over Aila's torn skin. It started to hurt a little less.

"I want you to come in daily for treatments," Danica said. "Or you can just stay here, in the temple, if you don't have a place to stay. Oh, and Aila?" She looked at her. "A wound like this... Magic or no, it'll scar."

Aila looked down at the area Danica was tending. She imagined how it would look scarred. It made her think of Kathryn's scars. "It's fine," Aila said. "I have a friend with scars much worse than this'll ever be."

"Good. I mean, not good about the scars, good that you have a positive attitude. It never helps to have a bad one."

Aila murmured an agreement. She had stopped paying attention to the conversation. Her mind was focused on Kathryn. She was hoping to already be headed back to Riften by now. Instead, she was stuck in Whiterun for the next few days. Aila was definitely _not_ okay with that. But what else could she do? Ignore the healer and set off for Riften anyway? With no one tending her wound, it would likely kill her.

Aila sighed with resignation. Oh, well. A few more days wasn't so bad. Just then there came a series of knocks at the temple door. Danica muttered something under her breathe that Aila didn't catch. She ceased the healing magic and went over to the door. She opened it slightly and peered out. Aila heard her speaking with someone, but she couldn't understand the words. Then she heard shouting from the other side as Danica shut the door. "What was that about?" Aila asked as Danica returned, bringing fresh bandages.

"Just another visitor," Danica said.

"Another?"

"Ever since word got out that there's a dragonborn resting int the temple, the whole city suddenly became very pious." She began wrapping the bandages over the wound.

"Why would they want to see me?"

"You're the Dragonborn, why wouldn't they?"

"I don't get it," Aila said. "What's so special about me being Dragonborn?"

Danica looked at her. "You're joking right?"

Aila shook her head.

"You really don't know? Haven't you heard all the stories going around about the other one?"

"Other one?" Aila thought back to when she first heard the word Dragonborn. "You mean the Redguard?"

"Damon, yes. Most of the stories are way overblown, but there's one thing that no one can argue. He can fight. He's just like the legends describe him. Physically, at least."

"Physically?" Aila asked.

"He fights like a legend, but he doesn't act like one. Not exactly what you'd call a respectable figure."

"But what does being Dragonborn have to do with it? How is it any different from anyone else?"

"Your soul," Danica said.

"My soul?"

"Yes. According to every legend, story, or just plain fairy tale, the Dragonborn is one with the body of a mortal and the soul of a dragon."

"The soul of a dragon?" Aila said. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it? After you killed that dragon, what happened?"

"Well... someone once told me that... I was absorbing its soul."

"Really? Dragons were said to be able to absorb the souls of their brethren. Now, how could you do this, if you yourself are not a dragon?"

Aila didn't have an answer.

Danica smiled at her as she finished up with the bandages. "I'll let you think on that. In the meantime, you're free to go. You're armour is over on that shelf over there. I wouldn't recommend wearing it, though. Else it'll wear out the bandages."

Aila stood from the bed and thanked Danica. She grabbed her armour and headed out of the temple, making her way to the the Bannered Mare. She told the innkeeper she was going to be staying longer than she had anticipated and went to her room. No one tried to talk with her. It seemed that nobody actually knew what the new dragonborn looked like, otherwise Aila thought it would be much more difficult to get where she was going.

She placed her armour down in her room, checking to make sure the ring was still there. It was. Knowing that, she fell into the bed. This day was not turning out well. She had attracted the attention of the entire city, which was not at all what she wanted. But worse than that was the ache in her heart. She missed Kathryn dearly, and wanted to return to Riften as soon as possible. She wanted to feel her arms wrap around her and her lips press against her own. Aila hugged her pillow and let out a small whine.

She lay quietly for several more minutes, thinking. She was trying to find a way out of this mess. Everyone wanted to see the Dragonborn, but nobody actually knew what she looked like, save for a few guards and the companions. That seemed to be that only thing she had going for her, though, that was likely to change soon.

A soft knock came at the door followed by a voice. "Aila, you in there? It's Aela."

Aila considered ignoring hr and waiting until she left, but then she realized that, despite what she said, Aela was fully aware that Aila was in the room. Those werewolf senses were becoming an annoyance. "Come in," Aila said.

The door opened and Aela stepped in. She looked at Aila for a moment. "You alright?"

"I've been better."

"How's you wound?"

"Healing."

"Good. That's… good."

An awkward silence ensued. Aela seated herself in a chair across the room from Aila. As she sat, Aila noticed that her arm was in a cast. The arm that was burned. Aila propped herself up against the bedpost, grunting a bit when her side pained her. Aila also noticed that Aela was staring at her. "What?"

"Sorry, it's just… I still can't believe it. You, of all people."

Aila sighed. "Yes, I know. I'm the Dragonborn, so what."

"So what?" Aela gaped. "Don't you know what that means?

"No!" Aila said. "And nobody will give me a straight answer. They just say that I'm special, that my soul's special. Soul of a dragon, what does that even mean?"

"Aila," Aela said softly. "Nobody can tell you because nobody really knows. All anyone really knows about the Dragonborn is what they've heard in legends and stories. And that's all people thought it was. A story. Up until about a month ago, when Damon showed up."

"The Redguard," Aila said. "Who is he exactly? Someone told me that he's a mercenary."

"Yes, or at least he was. He just sort of, appeared one day. A bit ago there was a dragon attack on the Western Watchtower. According to the guard, a Redguard joined in during the fight. The dragon didn't stand a chance. Apparently he used a warhammer to cush through it's scales."

Aila rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. He would have to be made entirely out of muscle."

Aela laughed. "You haven't seen him. He looks pretty young, but it also looks like he's been fighting all his life. He's covered in scars."

"What's he like? I haven't heard very good things about him."

"You wouldn't. He's arrogant, inconsiderate, and just plain rude. When he was asked to join the Companions he just laughed."

"He laughed?" Aila said. "Why?"

"I think he thought he was better than us. The worst part is that he was right. Skjor took his laughter as an insult and challenged him to a duel. Damon won within minutes. Skjor was seething afterwards."

"Wow."

"Mm. I just wish I could have heard him shout."

Aila furrowed an eyebrow. "Shout?"

"Yeah, shout. You know what a shout is.

Aila shook her head. "No."

Aela looked confused. "Of course you do, you used one when you fought the dragon."

"Aela, I truly have no idea what you're talking about."

"Just before you ran off to fight that dragon you used a shout. Don't you remember? You said _su_, or something like that."

"_Su_? That's the word that was on that tree…" Aila didn't remember doing anything unusual. "Are you sure?"

"It was impossible to miss. It was so loud I had to cover my ears. Afterwards, you were moving, well, fast. Faster than I thought was even possible. Every time I thought you were going to get hurt, you somehow managed to avoid it."

"I just acted," Aila said. "I wasn't thinking about what I was doing."

"Whatever you did, you may very well have saved Whiterun. I hope you know that."

"I doubt that. Someone would have killed it eventually."

"Maybe. But thanks to you much fewer people have died than otherwise."

Aila looked down sadly. "That didn't help those who did."

"Don't grieve for them, Aila. They have enough of that already." She stood from the chair. "Now, I really must get going. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Well, I'm okay. But thanks."

"See you around."

"See you."

Aela left the room. Aila sat quietly, feeling slightly better. Still, though, her mind was racing. She wanted to know more. About this Damon, about herself and these Shouts Aela many questions and so little answers. The only one who seemed to know anything was the man in her dream, but she had no idea how to find him. Perhaps he would come to her on his own. He must eventually, right? She needed answers.

And he had them.


	26. 25: Reunion

**A/N: **Yes, yes, I haven't posted in months. I don't even have an excuse this time, I'm just really lazy. Sorry.

Also, you kind of have to remember that Aila and Kathryn are two inexperienced lovers in a world where homosexuality just isn't a thing. Sooo just keep that in mind when reading.

* * *

Reunion

"I have never hated anything as much as I hate these people right now," Aila said. It wasn't true, of course, but they were becoming quite an annoyance for her.

"Oh, come on," Aela said. "It can't be that bad."

"You've never been the center of attention of an entire city before."

"Why complain? You're famous! Revel in it."

"Aela, you and I have two very different views on revelry. I don't want to be famous. That sort of attention is the last thing I would want." Aila sighed and rested her head in her arms. "What am I going to do when word spreads to Riften?"

"What's wrong with that?" Aela asked.

Aila looked at her. "I's be the center of attention again. I'd rather not have that happen."

Aela shrugged. "I think you're making a bigger deal of it than it is."

Aila sighed again. Aela didn't understand. It wasn't just that she didn't want the attention, there was more to it than that. Aila was a thief. From the Thieves' Guild. The whole city's attention turned toward her was, as many Guild members would say, bad for business. "At least I'll get to leave today," Aila said. "I can't wait to see Kathryn again."

"You must miss her," Aela said.

"You have no idea." Lately, Kathryn was that was on Aila's mind.

"You know, I've been wondering. How is it that a woman like yourself falls in love with another woman? It's very strange."

Aila shrugged, not sure how to respond. "It just sort of happened."

"People like you two don't 'just happen'. Come on, tell me."

"Well... I guess that given the condition that we were in before, it was bound to happen."

"What do you mean?" Aela questioned.

"I met her in Riverwood," Aila said, realizing that Aela wanted more than a simple explanation. "She was sort of an outcast there. The others were afraid of her for some reason."

"Her lycanthropy?" Aela suggested.

"No, I don't think anyone knew she was a werewolf. She never told anyone. Not even her parents."

"But surely they knew. I mean, they were her parents."

Aila scoffed. "Some parents they were. Her father was an abusive drunk and her mother was just neglectful."

"Really?" said Aela, surprised. "I had no idea."

"Mm. Anyway, she was desperate for a friend, and so was I. I had just arrived in Skyrim and I hadn't exactly gotten a friendly greeting. And don't ask, I'd rather no talk about it. But I was lonely and I found Kat, who was also lonely, and we just... clicked. I don't know about her, but I think what really made me fall in love was simply that she was there for me. I was alone all my life and then, suddenly, there she was. And I've never been happier."

Aela smiled at her. "It sounds like you really love her."

"Well, of course I do."

Aela was silent a moment. She looked as if she was trying to say something, but didn't know how.

"What is it?" Aila asked.

"How do you two... you know... go at it?"

Aila flushed. "Oh Gods, Aela, that is really none of your business."

Aela laughed at her embarrassment. "I'm just wondering."

"We just... use our hands and... touch."

"But doesn't that ever get dull? Just touching? Don't you ever want to try something new?"

"Aela, if you get bored during sex, you're doing something wrong."

Aela laughed again. "Yes, I suppose that's true."

The two sat quietly for a moment. Aela took a drink from her mug while Aila desperately tried to stop her cheeks from reddening any more.

"Well," Aela said, looking out the window. "The sun's nearly up. You'd better get going."

"Are they still out there?" Aila asked.

Aela looked down to the street. "Aye."

Aila groaned. "Who gets up so early just to see one person?"

"Some people'll do anything just for a glimpse of fame. Go on. I'll distract them."

Aila gave her a quick hug. "Thanks. I'll try to visit again some time."

"You do that. In the mean time, remember to write me."

"I will." Aila slung her bow across her back and left her room with Aela following behind her. They went down the stairs of the inn and into the main hall. It was there Aila was greeted by her "fans".

"Dragonborn!" they shouted, running up to her.

Aela intercepted them. "Alright, that's enough. She had enough problems without you snowberries adding to them."

The people stopped their advance, but still shouted for Aila. She ignored them and kept walking. Outside was even worse. There was a whole crowd was waiting for her.

As Aila weaved her way through the crowd, she turned to Aela, who was trying to keep anyone from getting to close. "Was it like this for the other Dragonborn?"

"For a bit. Until someone got a bit too close for his liking."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say the guy who went up to him won't be working any time soon."

"... Oh."

Soon they made it past the crowd and Aila dashed away, leaving Aela and the crowd behind. A few peopled tried to follow, but Aila was faster then them. But just in case, she ducked into an alleyway to lose anyone who would be following her. When she emerged back onto the main street, she was by the gate. She left the city and went to the carriage driver.

"Ah, there you are. I've been waiting."

Aila had already paid him in advance. "If you don't mind," she said, "I'd like to be going. Like, now."

"As you wish. Climb in back and we'll be off."

Aila did as he said and the carriage driver ushered the horse on. Just a few minutes later, they were well away from Whiterun.

The trip lasted for five days. They stopped only at night and sparsely through the day to rest. With every passing day, Aila became more and more exited. So very soon, she would be able to see Kathryn again. _I bet she's worried about me. _Aila had been gone longer than she had expected. Kathryn wouldn't like that.

Aila placed her hand over her wound. _She won't like this either. _It had healed to the point where it no longer needed much attention, but it still was not completely healed. She could hide it from someone else, but not Kathryn. They were much too close for that. She would probably scold her for being too reckless or find some way to blame herself.

When at at last the day came when Riften came into view, Aila could hardly contain her excitement. They inched closer at what Aila thought was a frustratingly slow pace. She watched the city grow larger as they neared until the carriage driver finally slowed to a stop and they had arrived.

Aila immediately jumped out and ran to the gates, pausing briefly to thank the driver. The gates opened before her and she half-walked, half-ran as she made her way to the Ratway. It was night already, so Kathryn would probably be asleep.

_… Except Kathryn doesn't sleep. Damn it. _Kathryn might not even be in the Ratway. She could be out wandering the woods for all she know. But still, the Ratway was the best place to start looking.

Aila went around the back of the temple of Mara to the graveyard where the secret entrance to the Cistern was. She walked to the correct tomb and saw a coffin. On it was a small button with the Thieves' Guild symbol. Aila leaned over to press the button, but just before foe did, she heard a snap behind her. Aila instinctively pulled out her dagger and spun around.

"Well, aren't we a little high-strung."

"Kathryn!" Aila exclaimed. "Gods, don't scare me like that!"

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to pull a knife on me," Kathryn said.

"Oh, sorry." Aila put her dagger away. She stared at Kathryn for a few moments, taking her in. She looked a bit different from the last time she saw her, and not in a good way. Her hair was much longer and she was unusually pale. There were dark circles around her eyes, the ones that appear from sleep deprivation. And knowing Kathryn, it's been a very long time since she last slept. "Are you okay? You don't look so well."

Kathryn just smiled at her. "Oh, I'm ten times better now that you're here." She held out her hand. "Come here."

Aila took it and Kathryn pulled her into a kiss. Several heated minutes passed before they broke apart.

"Oh Gods, I missed you," Kathryn said, holding Aila tighter. "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry. I was... delayed."

"Obviously. What kept you?"

"It was nothing. You don't need to worry about it."

"Aila, if you say that, I'm going to worry. What was it?"

Aila sighed. "There was an incident while I was at Whiterun. A dragon attacked."

"What? Were you hurt?"

"No... not badly."

"But you were hurt." She sighed sadly and kissed Aila on her forehead. "At least you're alright now."

Aila smiled and lay her head on Kathryn's shoulder. "I don't know how I made it for two weeks without you." She let go of Kathryn and turned back to the coffin and pressed the button. Then the coffin began to move, sliding back into the Cistern. "Come on," Aila said, starting the climb down. "I've been gone for so long and I'm not about to settle for just hugs and kisses."

Kathryn laughed, and followed Aila down. It was good to her voice again.

The Cistern was empty, being so late into the night, and Aila dashed to her room with Kathryn right behind her. When they reached it, Aila shut the door the moment Kathryn entered after her and jumped into her arms, kissing her fervently.

They wasted no time, as Kathryn began to take off Aila's armour. But when it was off, she stopped and ran her hand along the bandages wrapped around Aila's waist. "How bad is it?" she asked.

"I told you, it's not bad," Aila said, kissing her again. "It'll scar, but I'll be fine." She was eager to get on with their activities, but she didn't want to worry Kathryn.

She brought Kathryn to the bed and sat her down, sitting in her lap and wrapping her legs around her waist. She lifted Kathryn's tunic up over her head and threw it to the side, then resumed the flurry of kisses. She felt Kathryn's hand move down her body and into her smallclothes. Aila gave a small gasp, feeling Kathryn's familiar warmth down between her legs.

Aila's thoughts were turned to the conversation she had with Aela. Just using their hands was becoming a bit dull. But what else could they do? Women weren't made to pleasure each other in this way. But then Aila had a thought. She wasn't sure how well it would work, if it would at all, but she couldn't see why not. Though it did seem a bit unorthodox, she thought it was worth a try.

Her lips never leaving Kathryn's, Aila gently pushed Kathryn onto her back. She climbed off her and positioned herself at the foot of the bed. She pulled Kathryn's smallclothes down her legs, exposing her.

Kathryn was watching her, and Aila knew she was wondering what she was doing. Aila smiled at her and lightly kissed her inner thigh. She kissed again, higher up, and once more, directly between her legs. Aila heard Kathryn inhale sharply as she did so. Pleased, Aila continued. She kissed harder and even tried to use her tongue to help stimulate her.

And Kathryn was quite clearly enjoying herself. She began to moan softly, a sound that exited Aila and encouraged her to do more. "Ohh... Aila..."

Kathryn very quickly reached her climax. Aila already began to feel Kathryn's body responding to her efforts. She heard Kathryn struggling not to cry out as she peaked and, a few passionate moments later, Aila lifted her head and brought herself up next to Kathryn, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

Kathryn was breathless. "Where... did you learn to do that?" she asked.

"I didn't learn it anywhere," Aila said. "I just thought I'd try something new."

Kathryn smiled. "Well, I'm glad you did." Then she rolled on top of Aila and whispered in her ear. "But now it's my turn."


	27. 26: Frost

**A/N: **Gods, that last chapter had a lot of errors. But, I fixed them. I swear, I know the difference between to and too.

* * *

Frost

Aila woke early the next morning for no other reason than to be with Kathryn longer. Although it wasn't entirely intentional, after it happened, it seemed like a good enough reason. She had missed the feeling of Kathryn's heat so much. It was euphoric

They laid together for a long while, taking about the events that transpired while Aila was away. Kathryn told her how she worked practically day and night to earn enough money to keep her place in the Guild. She told of how she finally mastered the Muffle spell and how incredibly useful it was. She could jump up and down and not make a sound. Her exited talk of magic made Aila wish she was any good at it.

Aila told Kathryn how she had to go down under Honning brew meadery and poison a vat of mead. As well as how a crazed man attacked her down there and she found another set of strange writing. She also told of how Aela caught her stealing and the dragon attack. She asked Kathryn if she knew what a Shout was.

"A Shout? Um... Is that some sort of trick question?"

"No," Aila said. "Aela told me that I used a shout when I was fighting, but she didn't explain what it was."

Kathryn thought for a moment. "Hmm. Well, I guess it sort of sound familiar. Something the Greybeards do, I think."

"The Greybeards? Who are they?"

"A bunch of old guys up in the Throat of the World. I don't know You'll have to ask a Nord, I don't pay attention to this stuff."

"Mmm... I'd hoped you'd know more. Oh, well. I'm just happy to be back in you arms.

Kathryn smiled and kissed Aila on the forehead. "And I'm glad you're back. Oh! That reminds me." She jumped up out of bed.

Aila watched her with interest. "What is it?" she asked.

"You'll see. But first, close you eyes."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. It's a surprise."

"Okay, fine." She closed them.

"Good. No peeking."

"Yeah, yeah." Aila heard Kathryn looking through a drawer or a cabinet for a moment before coming back and sitting behind her on the bed. She felt a cold metal touch her chest and around her neck. Then Kathryn wrapped her arms around Aila's waist. "There. Now open them."

Aila did so and looked down at what Kathryn placed around her neck. "Oh, Kathryn... This is beautiful." She held up the necklace so she could see it better. It was made of gold, with a large emerald in the middle and alternating rubies and sapphires circling around it. "This... This is just... Where did you even get this?"

"I made it. Sort of. Actually I just found all the materials and got Madesi to make it. Flip it over."

Aila did so and saw that there was and inscription on the back. She read it aloud. "'For Aila, the love of my life.' Aww, Kat... this is just wonderful. I love it." She turned to face Kathryn. "I love you." She leaned in and gave Kathryn a kiss.

"I wanted to apologize for not being able to go to Whiterun with you," Kathryn said after they broke apart.

"You don't have to apologize. And you definitely didn't have to get me this to do so."

"I know. But still, I felt bad about it. Besides, it looks good on you."

"It's beautiful," Aila said. "Thank you."

"Always."

They talk far a while longer, and Dawn crept closer. Soon it was morning and time to get up. Aila and Kathryn both dressed in their Guild armour and went out to the Cistern. At the moment, there were only two people in the Cistern. Mercer and Brynjolf. When the two noticed their arrival, Mercer said, "Well, you're back. I'll notify Maven of your return." while Brynjolf walked up to them.

"Aila!" he said. "Such a pleasure to see you again. When did you get back?"

"Late last night," Aila answered. "I was pretty tired, so I just headed straight to bed." _With Kathryn. And there was very little sleeping involved. _She kept that thought to herself. "Is Delvin up yet? I have something for him."

"I believe so, aye. In the Flagon, as always."

"Alright, thanks." She waved to him and headed to the Ragged Flagon. Delvin was in his usual spot breaking his fast. "Heads up!" Aila said, tossing the ring to him.

Delvin turned just in time to see her throw it, and managed to catch it before it went sailing past him. "Aila," he said. "You're back. And you've brought the ring. Wonderful. Out of town operations are always more lucrative, you know. And that means more gold to you. Here you go." He reached into his armour and pulled out a rather large coinpurse. Aila took it and stuffed it into on of her many pockets. "You're really making a name for yourself down here," he continued. "Bringin' in a lot of money for the Guild, too."

"I'm just doing what I'm told," Aila said.

Delvin chuckled. "Well, you're doing better than anyone else has for a long time."

Kathryn stood behind Aila and clasped her shoulder. She smiled when Aila looked up at her. "I told you you're amazing. Also, Mercer wants you to be at the inn as soon as possible. Maven'll meet you there.

Aila remembered how she was late the last time she was to meet with Maven. She stood up."I'd better go now then." She grabbed Kathryn's hand and said, "Come on," and pulled her along with her. She didn't notice the puzzled look on Delvin's face when they grabbed hands.

Together they exited the Ratway and went to the inn. Just before they entered, Kathryn stopped. "You know... I think I'm going to wait for you out here," she said.

Aila looked at her. She wasn't looking any better than the night before. If anything, she looked worse. The circles under her eyes had darkened and she was very fidgety, as if she was anxious about something. "What for?"

"Oh, Keerava doesn't really like me in her inn. Plus, I can smell the food from out here and... Well, I'd just rather stay out here."

Aila knitted her eyebrows. "If you're hungry you can just go inside and eat."

Kathryn shook her head. "No, I just... I'd rather wait out here. Go on in, I'll be here when you get back.

Aila looked at her with concern. She stepped closer and cupped her cheek. "Kat... Why don't you go back to bed? You look... tired. To say the least."

Kathryn smiled and held Aila's hand. "I'll be alright. Besides, I always have trouble sleeping when you're not around."

"Like the last couple of weeks?"

She nodded.

Aila sighed. "You're so stubborn. Just don't overexert yourself or anything."

Kathryn kissed Aila's hand. "I promise. Now go on, Maven may already be inside."

As it turned out, she wasn't. Maven didn't turn up for at least another half hour. Aila found that incredibly annoying. Sure, Aila was late for their first meeting, but she had made up for that when Maven made her sit in silence for an hour. Besides, Kathryn had said as soon as possible.

When Maven did show up, Aila muttered, "Finally."

Maven didn't seem to hear. "Ah, you're here," she said. "I was afraid would have to wait for you like last..."

"Look," Aila interrupted. "I did what you asked." She pulled a letter out of her armour and presented it to Maven. "Just pay me or whatever so I can go."

Maven glowered at her dangerously, but Aila didn't care. After sitting in boredom, she wasn't exactly in a good mood, and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with Kathryn.

"Very well, then," Maven said, taking the note. She unfolded it and read. "Hold on... There is nothing here that indicates who the supplier is. Just this odd symbol."

"Yes, that symbol. I've seen it before. " Aila struggled to remember for a moment. "Oh, right! It was on the Bill of Sale for Goldenglow."

"Was it? Interesting. And yet I still have no clue as to who is trying so hard to hurt my business."

"Hey, It's not my fault that's all there was. And I put Sabjorn out of commission like you asked."

"Yes, I suppose you did. Here, take this." She handed Aila a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Aila asked.

"You're reward. Your job requires you travel occasionally, does it not? Then I think you'll find this useful."

When Aila read the paper her eyes widened and she turned and dashed out of the inn. Kathryn was waiting for her outside. "Oh, Aila. How's it go-ahh!"

Aila grabbed Kathryn's hand and dragged her along behind her. "Where are we going?" Kathryn asked."

"To the stables!"

"The stables? Why?"

"Just come on, you'll see."

They were just past the gate when Kathryn stopped suddenly. "Aila, maybe I shouldn't..."

"Shouldn't what? Oh, come on, you have to see what Maven gave me," Aila said excitedly.

"But..." She was silenced again by Aila pulling her along.

Then something strange happened. As they neared the stables, the horses there went wild. They whinnied and reared on their hind legs. They tried to run but the stables kept them in place. The Stablemaster tried to keep them calm with very little success.

Aila heard Kathryn silently curse to herself. "You see, Aila," she said. "I can't go near the stables or else this happens."

Aila looked to the stables and back to Kathryn. "But Why?"

Kathryn glanced away, suddenly looking sullen. "Because, they can smell me, and I smell like a wolf."

"Oh... But... What about the horses we came to Riften on? They weren't scared of you."

"Those belonged the the Companions. They were trained not to fear wolves."

"But..."

"But nothing, Aila. Most don't like wolves. I'm a wolf. That's are there is to it."

The way she said it made her sad, but Aila knew it was true. She looked into her silvery eyes "Okay, then... wait here... I guess."

"Yeah... okay." Kathryn backed a bit further away from the stables.

Aila sighed and headed towards them. When the Stablemaster saw her approaching he greeted her. "Well, hello! Sorry about the horses, they're not usually like this. Probably just some wolves nearby in the wood. Gave them a fright. Don't worry, they never come this close tho the city."

Aila glanced back at Kathryn. "Wolves don't frighten me."

The Stablemaster smiled at her. "Nor should they. Now, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes." Aila showed him the paper Maven had given her. "I came to see him."

"Frost, eh?" So you're his new owner. I must say, I was surprised when I was asked to hold him for you. I didn't think the Black-Briars would ever give him up."

"Why not?" Aila asked.

"He's quite a horse." He pointed to a white stallion. "That's him over there. One of the finest I've ever seen."

Aila moved closer. She reached out and tentatively pet his head. "Hey there, boy." The horse whinnied and pushed its head into her hand.

"Hm. He must like you. He's not always this friendly. But, then again, Bosmer do usually have a way with animals.:

"You thing I'm a Bosmer?"

The Stablemaster raised an eyebrow. "Are you not?"

"I didn't say that." She certainly wasn't an Altmer. And definitely not a Dunmer.

"Um... Right. Anyway, there's a small fee for holding your horse here. Unless of course you'd like to care for him yourself, in which case, you'll have to buy supplies on your own."

"I think I'll let you handle that for now."

"Right then. I'll bill you every month."

Aila nodded and glanced back at Kathryn. She was watching patiently from a distance. _It won't do to have Frost afraid of her. I'll have to train him to not fear wolves somehow._

She realized the Stablemaster was still talking. "Don't expect him to be completely obedient just yet," he was saying. "It may be some time before he gets used to you."

"Oh, don't worry," Aila said. "I have a feeling we'll be great friends. Won't we, boy?"

Frost neighed in response.

* * *

**A/N:** When I first did that quest, I got an Iron Dagger of Fear, or something like that. Needless to say, I wasn't happy with it. Aila definitely got the better deal.


	28. 27: Seduction

Suduction

Aila realized something. She's very attractive. Or at least, that's what other people thought of her. She didn't really understand it, and she didn't really want others to think it, except maybe for Kathryn. But she also realized that he could use her looks in her work. Not that she liked to. Aila made a pint of wearing her Guild armour as much as possible, as people tended to stay away from Guild members. But today she wasn't wearing her armour. Currently, she was wearing a rather expensive-looking tunic and breeches which showed off just a little more than Aila was comfortable with. She had also done her hair, which she had never done before. But considering the various shouts and whistles coming from men on the street, she assumed it looked good. The necklace Kathryn had given her rested just above her breasts. Aila gripped it and took a deep breath.

_At least Kat's not here._ _She'd probably pummel anyone who so much as looked at me. _The though made her smile despite herself. She loved how protective Kathryn was of her. She definitely didn't want her around for this. Actually, Aila didn't want to be around for this either, but she had to. A job was a job after all. _Might as well get it over with._

Aila walked forward, moving until she bumped into a Dunmer carrying a number of fire logs, causing them to fall to the ground.

"Oh my!" Aila exclaimed. "I am so sorry!"

The Dunmer looked like he was going to tell her off for a moment, but then stopped when he saw her. "That's, um, quite alright."

"No really," Aila insisted. "I'm such a klutz. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going. Here, let me help." She knelt down to help pick up the logs.

"Oh no, please," The Dunmer said. "I wouldn't want a beautiful lady getting her hands soiled."

_Ugh. _Aila forced a smile. "Oh, well. Actually, I'm not sure I could lift these heavy logs." Aila knew full well she could lift those heavy logs. "Though, I'd bet you can do it quite easily." She held out her hand. "I'm Kori."

The Dunmer smiled at her and took it. "Kori, huh? I'm Tythis." He looked her up and down. "You know, I don't normally go for Wood Elves, but for you, I could definitely make an exception."

Aila resisted the urge to throw up. She place a hand on Tythis' shoulder. "Really?" she said, trying to sound seductive. "You know... I have a room at the inn. Perhaps you could meet me there and we can..." She paused for dramatic effect, leaning in closer and moving her hand to the back of his neck. "get to know each other."

Tythis grinned widely at her. "I'll be there."

Aila removed her hand, still smiling. "See you." She turned and walked away as quickly as she dared. The moment she was out of his sight, let out a full-body shiver of disgust. If there was one thing she would ever be certain of, it was that she would not be at the inn that night. Or the next, just in case. She looked down at the gold and diamond necklace in her hand. "I'd better get paid extra for this," she muttered to herself before heading down to the Cistern.

She mussed up her hair while heading to her room to change, hoping nobody would say anything about the way she looked. Luckily or unluckily, the only one who did was Kathryn. Who choked on her drink when she saw her.

"Gods above, Aila, what are you wearing?"

"Something I'd sooner not."

"I didn't even know you owned anything that... skimpy."

Aila glared at her.

"Hey, I'm just saying. Besides, you look..."

"Kat, if you say one more word, I swear I'll put an arrow in your knee."

"Why so hostile? You're the one wearing it."

Aila groaned loudly. "Just do me a favour." She handed Kathryn the necklace. "Give this to Delvin. And tell him if he ever gives me another job like that I'll kick him in the unmentionables."

"So many threats. You must be in a bad mood."

"You think?" She sighed. "I'm going to go get changed and meet up with Brynjolf."

"Alright," Kathryn said. She gave Aila a quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight, love." She went to go find Delvin.

Aila was suddenly feeling much better.

When she finished changing, she went to the training room. She had continued her training with Brynjolf after she had returned from Whiterun. It was awkward for a bit, after what happened last time, but Aila avoided the topic and Brynjolf never brought it up.

She also noticed something odd while training. It was a lot easier. The sword seemed lighter than she remembered, and Brynjolf seemed to be moving slower. At first, Aila thought he was going easy on her, but he insisted that he was actually trying harder than before, which meant Aila had gotten better. And that made absolutely no sense. Yet Brynjolf was still the better swordsman, and Aila was hard pressed to keep up.

Remembering what happened with the Dragon at Whiterun, Aila considered trying to use that "shout", but decided against it. If it worked, she would be marked as Dragonborn, which she didn't want, or worse, it wouldn't work and she would look like an idiot. Maybe if she was alone. Or with Kathryn...

Her thoughts were interrupted when Brynjolf's sword hit her in the leg. "Pay attention!" he practically yelled.

"Sorry, sorry." Aila lifted her sword to block another attack and returned one of her own, only to have Brynjolf parry it. They went on like that for a while, until Brynjolf came in with a flurry of swings that Aila couldn't keep up with. She grunted as she was hit in the hip. "Damn it!" she shouted angrily. "I saw that coming, I should have blocked it!" That was the strangest part. She saw the attack just fine. She didn't have any problems seeing and predicting any of Brynjolf's movements, but she couldn't move her body quickly enough to act accordingly. It was eternally frustrating.

Then she had an idea. "Hey... could I get another sword?"

"Another?" Brynjolf asked. "What for?"

"I want to try something."

"Hmm... well, alright. But if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, don't expect it to pan out too well."

"Well, we won't know until we try." Aila picked up a blunted sword from the weapon rack. It felt weird and heavy in her left hand.

Brynjolf spoke up. "That's how Mercer fights. A sword in each hand. But it's not as simple as putting another sword in your extra hand. He had to train for months until he was as good with his left as with his right."

"Months, huh?" Aila set the sword down and picked up a smaller blade, one that she could easily control with her left hand. "Well, it couldn't hurt to try."

"As you wish," he said, though it was clear he didn't it would help.

The two assumed their usual battle stances, though Aila adjusted hers slightly to accommodate her new weapon. When they started, ti began normally. Aila swung, Brynjolf blocked and countered. She didn't try to use the other blade just yet. Eventually Brynjolf would make a move too fast to keep up with. That move came when he raised his sword and brought it back down. Hard. The force of the blow knocked her sword out of position and Aila had another moment where she could see what was happening faster than she could react. Brynjolf was coming around for another attack and Aila knew that she wouldn't be able to recover fast enough. So this, she decided, would be a good time to use her other sword. She raised her left hand, successfully stopping his sword in it's tracks. Then she brought her right hand back around and struck him in the leg.

"Ha!" Aila exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air as he grunted in pain. "I got you!" It wasn't that she never hit him, it was just that the moments were so few and far in between that she treasured them when they came. And this time it wasn't a fluke. She had blocked and countered with her own skill. It was an exhilarating feeling.

"Aye, you got me," Brynjolf said. "Don't be getting cocky. But I'll admit... You surprised me. You know how to use you've got. But still, it was sloppy. You need practice."

"Then let's practice," Aila said, assuming her battle stance.

They sparred for of the rest of the evening. Aila was doing much better. The extra sword was an immense help. She found herself getting hit much less while also hitting Brynjolf a few more times. By the end of it, Aila was exhausted. The sun had set about an hour ago, and Aila debated going to Delvin for one more job before hitting the hay, but decided against it. She was far too tired, so she went straight to bed, saying goodnight to Brynjolf and heading to her room.

Alone in her room, Aila stripped down and fell into bed. She had gotten used to sleeping naked, for a couple reasons. One, her and Kathryn would almost always find themselves entertaining each other during the night, so she usually wound up nude anyway. And two, Kathryn was so warm that if Aila wore any sort of clothing she would sometimes start to sweat just from laying next to her. She wished Kathryn was there so she could cuddle up with her, but Kathryn would be out doing jobs until late at night.

Aila fell asleep thinking of how Kathryn's eyes seemed to glow when it was dark.

She woke a few hours later. Woke being a relative term, she was still half-asleep, only barely awake. What woke her was the sound of the door creaking open. She assumed it was Kathryn, no one else would just wander in. Her assumption was confirmed when when someone very warm crawled into the bed with her. Aila snuggled up next to her and mumbled something that Kathryn only understood because of her better-than-average hearing. "Go to the forest tomorrow," she said.

"The forest?" Kathryn asked. "Why?"

"Spar with me. Wanna try something."

"Isn't Brynjolf your sparring partner? And why do we need to go to the forest for it?"

Aila made a vague motion that might have been a head shake. "Don't want him to see."

"Hm. Well, if it means I'm going to get some time alone with you, then okay."

Aila smiled and buried her head into the ultra-soft pillow that was Kathryn's chest, and Kathryn giggled and hugged her tightly. Aila, feeling incredibly happy and content in her arms, had nearly fallen back asleep. Until Kathryn began to stroke her lower back and give her tingling kisses. As good as it felt, Aila had to protest. "Kat... not tonight, I'm too tired."

"Oh, come on. Just a little."

"How do you 'just a little'?"

Kathryn shrugged. "Let's find out."

"Kaaat..." Aila wanted to protest further, but the way Kathryn was kissing her neck and growling seductively...

Aila abruptly sat up and stared at Kathryn. "What was that?" she asked.

"What was what?"

"That noise. What that you?"

Kathryn's eyes widened and she looked away."

"It was! How did you do that?"

It was a moment before she answered. "I'm a werewolf," she said simply. "It happens."

"I've never heard you do that before, though."

"I usually force myself not to."

"Why didn't you this time?"

Kathryn looked almost ashamed, though Aila couldn't fathom why. "I forgot."

Aila smiled and leaned closer. "Do it again."

"Aila, I don't..."

"Oh, come on," Aila said coyly. "Just a little."

Another pause. Then Aila heard a low growl that a human or elf should definitely not be able to make. It was the deep and thrumming growl of a wolf.

And it was turning Aila on.

She kissed Kathryn full on the lips while her hands went to other places.

They broke apart briefly and Kathryn said, "I thought you were too tired."

"Oh, shut up," Aila laughed, pushing Kathryn onto her back.


	29. 28: Giving In

Giving In

The day started out normally enough. Despite waking up an hour later then usual, Aila was very tired. That was, of course, her own fault. She had let Kathryn seduce her into a love-making session witch took up a good portion of the night. So when morning came, Aila found herself wishing she had Kathryn's seemingly endless supply of energy. _Just once I'd like to watch her fall asleep in my arms instead of the other way around, _Aila thought.

After putting on her armour, Aila proceeded to do what had already become routine for her. She wandered around the Cistern and the Flagon, talking with some of the members and eventually speaking with Delvin for a job. Some might think thieves only worked at night but, while many certainly did, there were still quite a few jobs that could be done during the day, provided one was cautious enough.

Aila did a few jobs that morning. They involved pickpocketing a silver ring, breaking into a house while the owner was out to steal a rather ornate goblet, and convincing a certain Breton that she would be better off without that ruby necklace of hers despite the sentimental attachment. Considering that a fruitful day of work, Aila took the afternoon off. She spent the time walking around the city, looking at the marketplace, and also met up with Kathryn a few times, an event that involved more than a few kisses. She talked to Balimund, the blacksmith, about making her a new bow. Her current one was a rather worn-out, ordinary hunting bow. She asked if he could make her an elven bow and he said he could, for a price so exorbitantly high that Aila promptly withdrew her request. But then Balimund said that he was in need of some fire salts that he had ordered from Wylandriah, the court mage. If Aila went and fetched them for him, he would make her the bow for a far more reasonable price. Aila accepted.

She had never been to the keep before, but Kathryn had been a few times to see Wylandriah for Spell Tomes and such, and she had come back with some interesting stories of the court mage.

When she met her, Aila couldn't decide whether she found her amusing or irritating.

"Hello?" Aila asked when she entered the mage's study. "Wylandriah?"

"Hmm? Oh, did we have an appointment? No? A delivery?"

"Sort of. Balimund wanted me to get those fire salts for him."

"Fire salts? What fire salts?"

"Um... the ones for the forge. He told me he ordered some from you a bit ago. He asked me to get them."

"Did he? Hmm..." She scratched her head, thinking. "Oh, of course! Silly me." She grabbed a small bowl off a shelf and handed it to Aila. "Here you go."

Aila looked down at the crystals in the bowl. She was no alchemist, but she was pretty sure fire salts were supposed to be red, not blue. "Something got you preoccupied?" Aila wondered.

"Someone actually interested in my work?" Wylandriah said, sounding rather surprised. "Amazing! Well, allow me to explain. My experimentation involves a magical construct and a reagent that will allow the construct to maintain a field of permanent harmonic energy!"

"Uhh..." Aila hadn't the faintest idea of anything that the court mage just said. "How... fascinating."

"Aah!" Wylandriah exclaimed. "So, you're a student of theoretical applied harmonics!"

"Well... actually..."

Wylandriah cut her off. "Putting aside Rolsten's universal inversion for a moment, how would approach the problem? Draw the harmonic energy into the reagent, or allow it to generate it's own field?"

At this point, Aila was already to deep into the conversation to back out, even if she had no idea what they were talking about. "Have you tried using calipers?"

The court mage stared at her, looking a bit incredulous. "Calipers? That's utterly ridiculous. Maybe long ago you could find calipers in every household across Tamriel, but not anymore."

Aila took note that she didn't dismiss it as a bad idea.

"Hold on... That gives me a brilliant idea! Just as calipers hold materials in place, a soul siphon could how magic fields in place! Genius! And I'm sure you've worked out how to completely counteract complete dimensional collapse, right?"

In an effort to not appear as a complete idiot, Aila said the first thing that came to her head. "Swallow a soul gem?"

Wylandriah gaped at her. "Are you completely insane?! Swallow a soul gem? That has to be the most brilliant and unexpected solution I've heard in a long time!"

"Wait, what?"

"Yes, it solves all of my problems _and _keep the field stable!" She paused for a moment. "Now if only I can remember what we were talking about..."

"Um, we were just talking about how Balimund needs those fire salts."

"Does he? Oh, well, here. Take this to him." She handed Aila a bowl of red crystals. Then she straightened and took a breath. "Okay... now where did I put those spiders?"

Aila thanked her and walked out of the keep as fast as she could without running. She returned to Balimund, who told her to come back tomorrow for her bow.

Afterward, Aila ate lunch at the inn, much to Keerava's dissent, wondering how she had managed to come out of that bemusing conversation without utterly embarrassing herself.

Eventually, Aila found herself back in the Cistern training room, practicing her aim. She had gotten very good with the bow. Sometimes, Aila would compete with Niruin over who could score the most points. Oft as not, the games would end in a draw.

Aila was aiming carefully for a small target on the other side of the room when Cynric came rushing in.

"Aila," he said. "Mercer wants to see you."

_Uh oh. _Aila racked her brain for something that would be cause for Mercer to call on her. Did she get assigned a job and forgot about it? Did she accidentally steal the wrong item? "Did he say what for?"

"Just that he found something important."

Aila slung her bow across her back and headed into the Cistern. Mercer was where he normally was, looking over some papers.

He didn't even look up when Aila approached. "I've run through all my contacts for information on the symbol you found in Goldenglow, but not one of them could identify it."

Aila wasn't sure how that was newsworthy enough to call her up. Or, quite honestly, how it even pertained to her. "Um... okay."

Mercer looked up at her with his usual irritated look on his face. "And now I learn that you found the same symbol in the meadery. It would seem that whoever our assailant is, it seems they're trying to take us down by splitting us from Maven Black-briar. Clever.

"Clever?" That's not the adjective Aila was expecting.

"Whoever it is, I'm impressed they've managed to stay hidden for so long. Just don't mistake my admiration for complacency. Who ever it is, they are going to pay when they are discovered. And they will be discovered."

"No doubt," Aila said. "But, uh, I don't thing you called me here just to chat, so..."

"No," Mercer said in a tone that Aila would have found hurtful if she wasn't used to hearing it so often. "I called you because our Assailant, even after all their careful planning, has made a mistake. The bill-of-sale you and Kathryn brought back mentions a Gajul-Lei. My references say that's an alias for a contact in Solitude. His real name is Gulum-Ei. Slimy bastard."

Ah, there were the adjectives she was used to. "That's an Argonian name, isn't it?"

"Yes. Go to Solitude. Find Gulum-Ei and find out how he is involved in this.."

"What?!" Aila exclaimed. "But Solitude is on the other side of Skyrim! It'd take a month just to get there! I just got back from Whiterun and now you want me to go to Solitude?"

"Yes." Unfortunately, it wasn't a request.

Aila was fuming. "Fine. But Kathryn is going with me." She probably shouldn't have said it in that manner, but Aila wasn't going to spend that long without her.

Mercer scowled at her. "As long as she brings back something valuable."

"Good." Aila turned angrily and left. _Great,_ she thought. _I just got back! _Then she though of how she would have a month alone with Kathryn. Then she thought of how she would be spending that month doing nothing but doing nothing but traveling.

Aila sighed and tried to decide how long it would be until the sun would set. Three hours? Four? _Ah, well. _It was about time. She went to the market carrying a small basket. She filled it with venison, lettuce and bread. And quite a bit of cheese. It was Kathryn's favourite, after all. Once the basket was filled, Aila left the city and headed off into the forest.

After a few minutes of walking, she reached the overlook where Aila first saw Kathryn as a wolf. The standing stone laid at the edge of the overlook, which Aila made sure to stay a good distance from. Upon seeing it, she remembered when she had touched it and how it glowed. She sat down, setting the basket beside her, and wondered about it while she waited.

Eventually, Kathryn showed up. When she saw her, Aila jumped up and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Hey, honey," Kathryn said. "Is that food I smell?"

"Later," Aila said, giving her a light kiss. "After training. We'll be hungry then."

There was an audible sniff from Kathryn. "But there's cheese!"

"Later," Aila laughed. "Did you bring the weapons?"

"Of course." Kathryn pulled a pack off her back and opened it to reveal a few blunted swords. She took one out, weighing it in her hands. "So what did you want to train out here for, exactly?"

"Remember when I told you how I 'shouted' when I fought the dragon in Whiterun? I want to try to do it again."

"So... What? Are you going to just wildly flail you're arms about while screaming at the top of you lungs?"

"Uh, no," Aila said, trying not to picture the image Kathryn had just painted. "First I want to spar with you. That way I can see how well I do. Then I'll yell _su _and we'll go again and see if anything changes."

"Why _su_?"

"I'm... not really sure. That's what I said when fighting the dragon, I think. You know what? Thinking about it, I also said it when I was fighting that crazed man down in the tunnels under the Honningbrew Meadery. Right before fighting him suddenly got a lot easier."

"Really? Interesting. Well, do you want to get started?"

"Yeah." Aila picked up a sword and positioned herself in front of Kathryn. It would be interesting to see who would be better. Kathryn was the better magician by far, and Aila was better with the bow, but swordplay was a different matter. Back in Whiterun, Kathryn was much better than Aila, but that was a long time ago, or so it seemed.

As their sparring match began, Aila noticed two things. The first was how differently Kathryn moved from Brynjolf. Whenever Aila fought with Brynjolf, it was usually him that was on the offensive. Aila would just defend and attack whenever she thought she saw an opening. Kathryn fought very much the same way, and so there were a few moments when the two would just stand, waiting for the other to make a move.

Second, Aila realized that she and Kathryn were almost evenly matched. Neither could gain an advantage an the other. "Have you been practicing?" Aila asked at one point.

"A little," Kathryn answered. "But I mostly focus on my magic."

They stopped fighting after a short while. It was pretty obvious that they were equal.

"You've definitely gotten better, Aila," Kathryn said.

"I guess so. It's kind of weird, though. I haven't really done all that much training."

"Maybe you're just a fast learner."

"Maybe. Well, let's go again. But this time..."

"You'll shout?"

"Well, it sound stupid when you say it like that."

"Hey, that's not my fault. Go on, try it."

"Alright." Aila closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. On what, she wasn't sure, but she tried nonetheless. She took a deep breath, and yelled, "_SU!_"

Then she heard Kathryn say, "Whoa."

Aila opened her eyes. "What? What happened?"

"You... flashed. Just for a moment, but it was definitely there."

"Does that mean it worked?" She didn't feel any different.

"Well, let's see. Raise your sword."

Aila did so just as Kathryn swung hers. She blocked it with ease and returned with a swing of her own. Kathryn just barely made it in time to block, but then Aila pulled back and swung again. She would have hit Kathryn in the arm if she hadn't stopped mid-blow. After all, she didn't really want to hurt her.

"Geez, Aila!" Kathryn exclaimed. "How did you move that fast?"

"I... don't know. You swear you're not going easy on me?"

"I swear, really! I could barely even see it. Come on, let's do it again."

Kathryn swung once more, but Aila saw it coming a mile away. She blocked it with no trouble at all, as with the next, and the next. When Aila finally swung back, Kathryn tried to block it and failed miserably. The sudden change in skill was startling.

"I can't even slightly keep up!" Kathryn said. "It think this Shouting business really works!"

"Evidently," Aila said, still trying to understand what exactly was happening.

They sparred for a little longer and Aila continued to be practically untouchable. Eventually though, it just stopped. It was very sudden. Kathryn could suddenly keep up, and Aila suddenly had to actually work to block Kathryn's attacks. Kathryn speculated that these Shouts were some sort of magic spells. They would do what ever they were meant to do for a while before wearing off.

The couple had just decided to stop sparring and eat their supper what Aila noticed it. There was rather large boulder sitting a good distance away from their little picnic site. It was covered in odd scratches. "Oh, no," Aila muttered to herself. She made her way to it.

"Aila?" Kathryn asked. "What it it?"

Aila didn't answer. As she stared at the scratches part of them began to glow brightly. As had happened twice before, it burned into her eyes, leaving her blind.

Kathryn walked up beside her. "Aila?"

Aila reached out and grabbed hold of her hand.

"That thing's happening, isn't it? The thing that happened at Goldenglow."

Aila nodded.

It faded after a time, as before. Aila looked at Kathryn. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tightly. "Kat... he's not going to stop."

"Who?"

"That strange man from my dream. He's going to keep sending dragons my way so I can kill them."

"But why? What does he want from you?"

"I wish I knew. I all know is that he want me strong. That's it. I don't even know his name."

Kathryn was silent for a moment. "Come on. It's no use worrying about it. Let's just enjoy our supper. The smell of that cheese has been driving me crazy."

Aila chuckled a bit and followed as Kathryn led her back to the picnic basket. She handed Aila some venison and and a slice of bread and cheese. Aila sat on Kathryn's lap while she ate, glad for her comfort. They mostly ate in silence, though sometimes Kathryn would make a comment to try and cheer Aila up. For the most part, it worked.

The two finished eating, and watched as the sun set over the horizon. It was all very romantic. Aila found herself feeling extraordinarily grateful for Kathryn's presence. That girl was everything to her. Without her, Aila's life wouldn't be the same. She needed Kathryn, as much as she needed food, or water. Without her, she just wouldn't know how to live. When Kathryn suggested going back to Riften, Aila refused. She didn't want to move just yet. She just wanted to sit in Kathryn's lap, wrapped in her embrace. Even as night fell, the couple stayed put. Aila leaned against Kathryn's chest, closing her eyes. She was tired from the sparring and Kathryn was contentedly warm in the cooling night air, and before she even realized it, Aila was asleep.

* * *

Kathryn listened to Aila's heart beat as she slept in her arms. It was such a soothing sound. She only ever heard it when it was quiet, or when Aila was particularly excited. She wondered if Aila would ever listen to her heartbeat. She wondered if Aila could ever even hear it. There was so many things that were different for Kathryn than for others.

She could hear a small animal, probably a fox, running around in the forest behind them. She ignored it and focused back onto Aila's heartbeat. _Bum. Bum. _It was always so slow when she was asleep. Kathryn wondered why that was.

A scent reached her. Deer. Quite a few of them, judging from the intensity of the smell. Somewhere off the the left of her. It made her mouth water. Kathryn shook her head and pulled Aila closer to her. She let her scent fill her nose. It made her smile. Aila always smelled of pine needles.

Kathryn wondered if Aila realized just how much she meant to her. Just being near her filled Kathryn with a sense of utter joy that she had never felt before she met Aila. She was beautiful, in her own adorable little way, with the freckles that lightly dotted her cheeks, the slight point to her ears, and her sapphire eyes. But more than any of that was simply that Aila had accepted her. After a lifetime of rejection by her family and neighbours, the simple act of befriending her meant more to Kathryn than anything in the world. How could she not fall in love with her? She had even accepted her lycanthropy. Kathryn wanted to tell her, she did, but she was so deathly afraid that Aila would leave that she just couldn't bring herself to admit it. If it wasn't for Aela... well, who knows how different things would be? But no, Aila wasn't at all perturbed by it. On the contrary, she seemed to rather enjoy it. So often would she snuggle up next to her, mumbling something about how warm Kathryn was, or comment on how beautiful she thought Kathryn's eyes were. Odd. Kathryn used to hate her eyes. But now...

Even the other night, when Kathryn had growled completely by accident while trying to get Aila in the mood. Her reaction to it wasn't at all what she was expecting. With Aila being nothing but positive toward her lycanthropy, Kathryn was finding it harder and harder to fight the constant urges she felt. The urge run through the woods as fast as she could; the urge to hunt. She was so tired of fighting them. She just wanted to give in.

Kathryn sat quietly for hours, watching Aila sleep and listening to her heartbeat. The moons were high in the sky when she made her decision. She kissed Aila lightly on the forehead and set her carefully down on the ground. She stood then, and began to unbuckle her armour. She stripped out of her armour, out of her smallclothes, setting them over Aila to make sure she stayed warm. Then she walking back into the forest. A little ways in, she leaned against a tree and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her heart began to thud in her chest, harder and harder, until she could feel it pounding against her ribcage. She struggled not to cry out. The worst was yet to come.

She felt her ribs begin to shift and expand, to accommodate her growing organs. Her spine felt like it was being stretched apart, her hands and feet felt like they were being crushed and pulled, like someone playing with clay. Her skull felt like it was going to split in two with her jaws elongating. She held in a scream as long as she could but, after what felt like hours, she couldn't hold it any more. But instead of a scream, there was a howl.


	30. 29: Experience

**A/N: **I changed the prologue! It's waaay better in my opinion. Go check it out.

Also, look up _Experience _by Ludovico Einaudi on Youtube. Just do it. Trust me.

* * *

Experience

Aila groggily sat up and opened her eyes. She wondered for a moment where she was, and why she wasn't in her bed. Then she remember the wonderful sensation of being held by Kathryn while looking out upon the setting sun. She wondered where Kathryn was, as she was not with her. After a quick glance around, she saw her sitting at the edge of the overlook, her legs hanging off the side, something Aila would be too terrified to even attempt. She watched Kathryn stare off into the distance. Aila found the sight entrancing. She was lit up by the morning Sun, making her all the more beautiful.

But of course, Kathryn felt a pair of eyes on her, and she turned to see that Aila had awakened. She smiled brightly. "Morning, love."

Aila smiled back. "Morning," she said sleepily.

Kathryn stood and walked over to Aila. Then she knelt in front of her, cupping her cheek with one hand while the other wrapped around her waist and gave her a deep kiss.

Aila moaned softly. She was still too sleepy to do anything but go along with it, not that she wouldn't have otherwise. By the end of it, Aila was breathless. As in, she-had-to-pull-away-even-though-she-really-didn't-want-to-else-she-would-have-pass-out-from-air-loss breathless. It was a very long kiss.

After catching her breath, all Aila could manage to say was, "Wow..."

Kathryn smiled and buried her face in Aila's neck. "Gods, I love you so much. You know that right?"

"Of course I do," Aila said. "And you know that I'm madly in love with you, right?"

Kathryn laughed. "Of course," she said, pulling Aila into another kiss.

And so the two sat, trapped in each others embrace, blessing each other with delightful caresses and kisses. Aila wasn't sure what had brought Kathryn into such a loving mood. Not that Kathryn was ever anything but loving, but this was a whole other level of loving. Aila was certainly enjoying it.

Between kisses, Aila told Kathryn of how Mercer ordered her to go to Solitude and how there was no chance in Oblivion that she was going without her. Kathryn heartily agreed. They decided to leave that morning. Eventually.

After an indeterminable amount of time (maybe an hour?) the two finally started to head back to Riften. Kathryn put her arm around Aila's shoulder as they walked and, for some reason, she started chattering away about the wildlife. "Do you know how many rabbit's there are in the forest?" she said. "I didn't realize until last night. They're everywhere! I mean, I always knew they were there, I just never realized how many. You literally can't walk ten feet without tripping over one. Look, there's one over there."

Aila looked to where she was pointing. "I don't see it."

"Well, actually, neither do I, but I heard it run under those bushes and I can smell it pretty clearly."

"Oh." It was still so strange that Kathryn could _smell _where things were.

"They're really good at getting into tight spaces that nothing else can get into, though. That must be the only reason they haven't gone extinct, because they smell delicious."

Aila gave her and odd look.

"What? They do! I even tried to catch some last night, but like I said, they're really good at hiding in tight spaces."

"What were you doing chasing rabbits in the middle of the night?" Aila asked.

"Hunting," Kathryn said with an arch smile on her face.

"Hunting."

"Yep."

"In the middle of the night.

"Mm-hmm."

"Why?"

Kathryn burst out laughing, though Aila wasn't sure what was so funny. "Aila , you don't get it. Why do you thing I would be out hunting?"

"Um..."

"I'll give you a clue. How do you think I could outrun an animal like a deer?"

Aila rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. You can't outrun a deer."

Kathryn smiled knowingly. "I can. I did it last night. How?"

This was absurd. Aila could run faster than Kathryn, and she couldn't outrun a deer. Humans and Elves just weren't that fast. Only other animals were, like sabre cats, or wolves... "Oh. Oh!"

"There you go."

Kathryn had turned last night! The revelation took Aila by surprise. "But I thought... I mean..."

"What?"

"I don't know, I just... never thought you'd ever willingly do that."

"Maybe not before, but now..."

"What changed?"

"Mainly? I just couldn't take fighting against my self any longer. I just wanted to have one night where I wasn't worried about being normal.

"And... this is a good thing... right?"

Kathryn laughed. "Yes, it's a good thing. I feel incredible! Better than I ever have before!"

"But doesn't it hurt?"

"Yes, Aila, you know it does. But once I got past the pain I just felt so... free! I don't know how else to explain it."

Aila chuckled to herself. "That's what you said the last time you turned."

"Yeah, but this time was different. Last time, I pretty much blacked out. Something to do with the moons, I guess. But this time I remember it all. Everything was so intense! I could see so clearly even though it was so dark. I could hear a fox breathing from thirty feet away. And the smells! I thought the forest smelled lively before, but when I was a wolf it was just amazing!"

Kathryn was ranting now, but Aila couldn't stop smiling. It sounded like Kathryn had finally accepted her lycanthropy. She looked so elated, and it made Aila happy as well.

"And I could run!" Kathryn continued. "I was so fast! For the most most part, I stayed near you so I could keep you safe, but eventually I got so tired of wandering around the overlook that I just took off. Aila, I ran all the way to Goldenglow and back in under twenty minutes!"

Aila's jaw fell open "You did?!"

"I did! The feeling of the wind blowing through my hair was just amazing! Though I guess technically it was my fur, not hair. That was odd, having fur all over my body. So was walking on all fours, though standing on two legs was surprisingly easy. Oh, and the tail was just weird. I'm going to have to get used to that."

That's when Aila had an idea. It was a fleeting thought, caused by the memory of the last time Kathryn had turned. She decided to try it.

"What are you doing?" Kathryn asked as Aila reached up past her ears and started to scratch. Her eyes widened suddenly, and then quickly flitted closed as she let out a small whine that sounded remarkably similar to that of a small dog's.

Aila struggled not to burst out laughing. "Mara have mercy, Kat, you're too adorable!"

Kathryn opened her eyes. She seemed to realize what was happening and

pulled Aila's hand away from her. "I am not! You're the cute one in this relationship, not me."

"Oh? Then what are you?"

"I don't know, intimidating?"

Aila laughed again. "Yes, you're such a scary little puppy."

Kathryn groaned loudly at her comment. Aila was having a great deal of fun teasing her. She was beginning to understand why Kathryn did it to her all the time.

But by that time they were leaving the forest and very close to Riften's gates. So Aila gave Kathryn a hug, kissed her, and said, "Kat, I am so happy for you," and, reluctantly, pulled away. But then Kathryn caught her hand, and she wouldn't let go. "Kat... we're getting rather close to the gate."

"... I know."

"Kat, you were the one who said..."

"I know what I said," Kathryn said, not unkindly. In fact, she sounded a little sad. "But... we're just holding hands. No one is going to suspect anything from just that."

"Holding hands can be awfully intimate," Aila said.

Kathryn didn't answer, but with that look in those beautiful silver eyes of her, Aila couldn't bring herself to let go.

And so, Aila and Kathryn entered Riften hand-in-hand. As it turned out, Kathryn's original suspicions were correct. The two got many queer looks from various people, but Aila tried her best to ignore them. Holding hands with Kathryn in public gave Aila a strange feeling in the it of her stomach. They always tried to avoid showing much affection toward each other. The most they ever displayed was a short hug. Holding hands like this, even though it wasn't much, was still more than usual.

When they reached the marketplace, they saw Brynjolf selling his wares and he came up to them when he noticed them. "Aila," he said in greeting. "Kathryn. So, you're still here. When you stormed off after speaking with Mercer, you were nowhere to be found, so we assumed you left for Solitude."

Aila noticed he was looking at their coupled hands. He didn't say anything about it though. "Oh, Kathryn and I just went to the woods to spar and we sort of lost track of time and... well, fell asleep."

Brynjolf gaped at them. "You fell asleep in the woods at night? You should think yourself lucky, then. I've heard the guards complaining about wolves being unusually active lately."

Aila suppressed a smile. "I like to think that wolves find me too charming to harm." She tried not to react as Kathryn dug her nails into her hand.

Brynjolf laughed. "Do you now? I wouldn't be putting that to the test, if I were you."

"Maybe not," Aila said. "But no, We were going to leave soon. I just need to get my new bow from Balimund and then we'll be off."

"Well, Solitude is long ways off. The sooner you leave the quicker you'll return. I'll see you two around." He left to resume selling his wares."

Aila turned to Kathryn. "Kat, why don't you go and get some supplies for the trip. I'll grab my bow, and then I'll get Frost and meet you outside the city."

"You mean I have to let go of you hand?" Kathryn pouted. "Why must you put me through such harrowing experiences?"

Aila rolled her eyes. It'll be like ten minutes. You'll survive."

"I know, I know. I'm only teasing." She pulled Aila's hand up to her mouth and kissed it lightly. "Are you sure you'll be able to keep Frost calm while I'm near him?"

"I'm not really sure. I hope so."

"Well, we'll see. I'll see you in a bit. I love you."

"And I love you."

After she left, Aila went over the the blacksmith where Balimund had her bow waiting for her. He gave it to her and she tested the string out. It was much harder to pull than her old one, but it didn't feel like it was going to snap every time she pulled it, so that was a plus. She threw out her now-useless old bow, slung her new one across her back and headed to the stables.

Frost whinnied in excitement as Aila neared. "Hey there, Frost. We're going on a trip." Aila fed him an apple as she pulled him from the stable. She jumped up on him (with quite a bit of effort, as her stature made it rather difficult) and rode him out of view of the city, where she hopped off and waited for Kathryn.

Frost noticed her before Aila. He neighed and reared, and Aila tugged at his reins to keep him still. "It's okay, it's okay. It's just Kathryn, she won't hurt you." Amazingly, Frost actually began to calm. He quieted down and mostly stayed still. Just as Kathryn came into view, Aila tossed her an apple. "Come here slowly." Kathryn practically tip-toed her way over. Frost began to rear again, but Aila held him in place and stroked his head. "Shh, shh. She's not going to hurt you. Hold out the apple." Kathryn obliged. Frost hesitated a bit, but then grabbed the apple and started chewing. Aila smiled. "Good boy." She looked to Kathryn. "See if he lets you on."

"Moment of truth," Kathryn said. She took hold of Frost's saddle, hesitated a moment, and pulled her self onto him. Frost, still busy chewing the apple, was wholly unresisting.

Aila smiled some more. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it, Frost?" She held her hand out to Kathryn. "Help me up." Mounting Frost was significantly easier with Kathryn's help. Aila sat in front of Kathryn.

Kathryn wrapped her arms around her, which sent a tingling sensation throughout Aila, and asked, "Are you sure he can carry both of us?"

"Of course," Aila answered. "Frost is a lot stronger than most horses. Besides, I weigh practically nothing."

"Well, you're right about that."

"... I'm not sure if you were mocking me or not."

Kathryn gasped dramatically. "I'm hurt, Aila. To even suggest that would ever do such a thing." She shook her sighed.

Aila just rolled her eyes. "So you were mocking me."

"Just a little."

Aila sighed and spurred the horse forward, and so began their journey

They rode and rode, only stopping occasionally to eat or let Frost rest. Toward the end of the first day, something incredible happened: Kathryn started to yawn. When she heard it, Aila turned around and stared at Kathryn.

"What?" Kathryn asked.

"You just yawned."

"Yeah, so?"

"Have you ever yawned before?"

"Of course I have! I mean... probably. I'm tired, okay?"

"But you just slept a couple days ago!"

"I know, but all the running around I did last night really wore me out."

So when night fell and the two finished setting up their camp, Kathryn jumped right into the bedroll. Aila crawled in after her and cuddled up with her. She gave Kathryn several kisses before saying, "Goodnight, Kat."

Kathryn smiled and kissed Aila one more time. "Goodnight, love."

For once, Aila was able to watch at Kathryn fell asleep in her arms.

The next day, Kathryn was full of energy. Too much energy. Aila had brought a few books, and she was reading them to occupy herself. Frost knew to pretty much follow the road, so Aila could just lean back on Kathryn and read, only directing him when there was a fork in the road. Kathryn, however, didn't have the patience to read anything other than spell tomes. She would constantly fidget in the saddle, desperately thinking of some way to entertain herself. The only way she could find was to throw Ice Spikes at random targets they passed on the road. As night fell and the two set up camp she said to Aila, "If the rest of the trip is like this, I think I'm going to go insane."

The third day, much to Kathryn's disappointment, was as uneventful of the previous. Aila tried to keep her occupied by talking with her, but even with Kathryn as chatty as she was, there was only so much to talk about.

"Are you exited to see Aela?" Aila asked. They would be stopping in Whiterun, after all.

"I am," Kathryn answered. "It's been so long since I've last seen her."

"It's only been about a month. Maybe a little more."

"Really? Wow. It feels like it's been years."

"I know. I was going to write her, but since Mercer made me leave Riften again I didn't really see the point." Aila thought about what happened when she was last in Whiterun. "I wonder if people will recognize me."

"Why would they recognize you?"

"From killing the dragon, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

Aila sighed. "They probably will. I think I'm going to be wearing my hood while we're there."

"But then I won't be able to see your adorable little ears," Kathryn said, giving said ears a small tug.

"Would you rather have people constantly crowd around us asking for my autograph?"

"Hmm. Maybe not."

"I didn't think so."

And so the third day came and went, and despite Aila's efforts, Kathryn barely made it through the day with her sanity intact. And since the fourth day was pretty much the same, Kathryn went completely stir crazy by noon.

"I can't take this anymore, Aila," she said, jumping off of Frost. "I need to do something."

"Like what?" Aila asked.

Kathryn began to unbuckle her armour. "I don't know. Run. Hunt. Something."

"You're going to turn?" Aila asked, wide-eyed.  
"That was the plan."

"Well... What an I going to do while you're gone?"

"Just keep going. I'll catch up." She was completely naked now. Aila was glad no one was around to see.

Aila leaned down and gave her a kiss. "Then... I'll see you later, I guess. I love you."

"And I love you. Go on ahead, I'd... rather you not see me turn. And Frost might freak out."

"Yeah, okay." Aila purred frost forward and left Kathryn behind.

After a few minuted of riding, Aila heard a rather loud howl. It startled Frost, but she was able to keep him calm. Aila was having mixed feelings. She didn't want Kathryn to be uncomfortable., and if turning would help then she was all for it, but... She didn't want to be alone. Maybe she was just being selfish, but she wanted Kathryn to stay with her.

Aila continued riding with a sigh.

Kathryn didn't return any time soon. Sometimes Aila would hear a howl far off in the distance, but never too close.

Night fell, and Kathryn was still gone. As she set up camp, Aila wondered if she had gotten lost somehow. She found it doubtful. She laid out her bedroll and crawled in, desperately wishing Kathryn would return soon.

Kathryn's absence left Aila unable to sleep. She was so used to her warmth, without it Aila felt unbearably cold. But it wasn't too long into the night when Aila heard a rustling in the trees around her. She sat up, looking to where the sound came from, and nearly yelped when she saw and incredibly large wolf emerging from the trees. "Kat? Is that you?" Aila asked.

The wolf made a small noise and a motion that might have been a head nod.

Aila broke into a smile. "I'll take that as a yes." She jumped out of her bedroll, rush over to the oversized wolf and hugged her tightly around the neck. She looked at the wolf in front of her. Kathryn's eyes were glowing golden as she watched her back. Aila's smile grew. She held Kathryn's head in her hands as she kissed her furry forehead. "You are beautiful." She reached behind Kathryn's ears and scratched. Kathryn's closed her eyes and her tail started to wag back and forth. Aila laughed. "Puppy."

Kathryn let out an annoyed growl, which made Aila laugh again.

She walked Kathryn closer to the camp, and laid down next to her. She was glad Kathryn was finally back. She leaned on Kathryn, like she did the last time she turned, and watched Kathryn watch her. If a wolf could smile, she was sure Kathryn was doing it right now. With Kathryn's warmth returned to her, it wasn't long before Aila fell asleep.

When she woke, Kathryn was back to her normal form, and Aila was in her arms. She smiled sleepily when she saw her. "Good morning."

But Kathryn just looked at her sadly. "Aila... I'm sorry I left you."

"It's fine," Aila said.

"No, it's not fine. I know you hate being alone. I just couldn't stand doing nothing anymore, and I didn't think about how you would feel."

"Kat," Aila said, giving her a light kiss on the lips. "It's fine, really. I'd never want you to be uncomfortable. As long as you come back."

"I will," Kathryn said. "Always."

Aila smiled. "Then it's fine." She kissed her again.

And so it was their fifth day of riding that they had finally reached Whiterun.


	31. 30: The Labyrinthian

The Labyrinthian

Kathryn looked up from the spell tome she was reading and audibly sniffed the air. "Aela's coming," she said.

"Is she?" Aila said excitedly. "Oh, good." She went over to the door, and pressed herself up against the wall next to it.

Kathryn smiled and shook her head. "I'm telling you, it's not going to work."

"Oh, hush. You've gotta think positive."

"Fine. I'm positive that it's not going to work. She's far too perceptive. She's going to notice you."

"We'll see. Now, _shh,_ or you give me away."

Kathryn sighed and closed the tome, setting it on the night stand. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Kathryn said. The door opened, and Aela walked into the room. "Hey, Aela. Long time, no see."

"Kathryn! How wonderful to see you again!" Aela glanced around the room, utterly failing to notice the little elf just behind her. "Isn't Aila with you? I thought I smelled..."

It was at this moment Aila chose to reveal herself and announce her presence. Loudly. "_BOO!_" The resulting surprised yelp from Aela, which sounded incredibly similar to that of a dog's, sent her into a fit, and she fell to the floor, unable to control her laughter.

Even Kathryn was struggling not to laugh. "I'm almost disappointed in you, Aela. I can't believe you fell for that."

Aela just stood silently, her hand over her mouth and her her cheeks turning a rather pleasant shade of red.

Aila desperately tried to compose herself. She tried to lift herself onto the bed Kathryn was laying on, but only ended up falling back to the ground.

"You really shouldn't startle wolves, Aila," Aela said through her embarrassment.

Aila took a deep breath, finally managing to sit on the bed next to Kathryn. She wiped tears away from her eyes. "I've come to a recent conclusion that none of you are actually wolves, but are, in fact, rather large puppies."

Kathryn rolled her eyes at the comment and Aela just stared at her, not really sure how to react.

After a few moments, when Aila had managed to recover a bit more, Aela asked, "What are you two even doing here? I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

"Well, it wasn't long after I returned that I found out that I needed to go to Solitude. We're really just passing through."

"I see..." Her tone of voice suggested that she wasn't at all satisfied with her answer. Aila couldn't really blame her, considering what she had caught her doing the last time she was here.

"Oh!" Kathryn exclaimed. "That reminds me. Do you think you could help us with something?"

"That depends..."

"It's nothing like what you're thinking," Aila said. She picked up the rucksack sitting by the foot of the bed and rummaged through it. She brought out two items: a map, and a wheel of cheese wrapped in cloth. She handed the cheese to Kathryn.

"Oh, bless you, love," Kathryn muttered.

Aila smiled at her and stood from the bed, carrying the map to a nearby table. "We just need help deciding which road to take." She spread the map out over the table.

Kathryn unwrapped the cloth from the cheese wheel and proceeded to cut a slice out from it. Then she walked over to Aila, with the slice, and put her arm around her waist.

"We were planning on taking this road here," Aila continued, trying not to get distracted by Kathryn nibbling on her cheese. "And go through Rorikstead and Dragon Bride, but then we saw this road here, the one that cuts through the mountains. The only stop is Morthal, and it's a much shorter route. It could shorten the trip by half, but it's marked as a trail, not a road. Why is that?"

"It's probably because that road gets very little use." Aela answered. "It cuts through the mountains by way of the Labyrinthian."

Aila waited for her to explain. When she didn't, she asked. "What's the Labyrinthian?"

"Sorry, I forget you don't know much about Skyrim's history. The Labyrinthian is, well, a labyrinth built around an old Nordic ruin. It can be rather dangerous, so many people stay away from it."

"How dangerous?" Aila asked. She grabbed Kathryn's wrist and brought it to her mouth, taking a bite of the cheese she was holding.

"Gods above, that was adorable," Kathryn said. Aila ignored her.

"Well, I've taken the road a few times and I've never encountered anything more than some Frost Trolls," Aela said.

"Do you think we should take it?" Aila asked.

"If you think you can handle yourself well enough in a fight, then I say go for it." She seemed to suddenly remember something. "Oh, then again, a dragon is rumoured to have been sighted near there lately."

"Another one?" Kathryn asked. "Where are they all coming from? No one's seen any for thousands of years, and then suddenly it's like every time we turn a corner there's another bloody dragon."

"It's worse than you think," Aela said. "We've been getting requests from all over Skyrim to kill some dragon. It's like they just popped into existence. Either way, unless you looking to pick a fight with one, you'd best take the long way."

"Yeah, I've fought one dragon already, that was enough. We'll take the long way."

That's when Aila spoke up. "I think we should go through the Labyrinthian."

Kathryn looked at her. "What? Aila, do you really want to fight _another_ dragon?"

"Kat, with everything we know about me being dragonborn, do you really think we won't encounter a dragon if we take the long road?"

Kathryn thought about it silently.

"What do you mean?" Aela asked.

Aila was silent for a moment. She thought about telling her of the dream she had, but she decided against it. After all, the man told her to tell nobody. She had told Kathryn because, well, it was Kathryn. Instead, she told a half-truth. "If I am dragonborn, then I think dragons are going to show up in my life no matter where I go. It seems to be a requisite."

"You're probably right," Kathryn said. "Let's go through the Labyrinthian."

"Well, that's settled, then." She began to fold up them map and put it back in the rucksack. "Besides, I've killed two dragons already. What's one more?"

Aela laughed and clasped her on the back. "That's the spirit!"

Aila sighed. Kathryn sat back down on the bed and Aila followed in suit, laying down with her head on Kathryn's lap.

Kathryn ran her fingers through Aila's hair gently. "Aela... there's... something else I wanted to ask you."

"Yes?"

"Well..." She bit her lip, trying to figure out how to word her question. "I've started turning recently."

"Oh?" Aela seemed genuinely surprised. "I thought you said you would never turn if you could help it."

"I've changed my mind." Kathryn said simply. "I turned willingly for the first time a few days ago, and once more since. It's... amazing, really, but the transformations themselves are just so..." She paused to try and find the right word.

"Excruciating?" Aela suggested.

"Yeah. Isn't there anything I can do to... I don't know, make it not hurt so much?"

Aela sighed sadly. "I'm afraid not. It's the price we pay for turning. The only thing we can do is try and turn as fast as possible and get it over with. You get good at it, you can managed a transformation in just a few seconds."

"Seconds?!" Kathryn exclaimed. "It takes me minutes to turn!"

"That's because you've only just started turning. After a while, your body starts to get used to the changes, and can manage them more quickly. Doesn't hurt any less, though."

Kathryn sighed sadly. "Oh well."

Aila reached out and grabbed her hand that wasn't massaging her head and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Kathryn looked down and smiled at her.

"So!" Aela said. "What are you two heading to Solitude for? I can't imagine you'll just be sightseeing."

"Oh, well we were just going to... uh... well..." Aila wasn't sure how to tell why they were going without mentioning the fact they were going to interrogate an Argonian as to his part in selling an incredibly important asset to the Thieves' Guild. She looked to Kathryn for help.

"Well... you see..." It seemed Kathryn was at a loss as well.

Aela sighed. "I knew it. Whatever the reason, it's nothing legal, is it?"

Neither answered.

Aela shook her head. "I just don't understand what could lead you two to thieving."

"It's... complicated," Aila said.

"Is it? Stay in Whiterun. Stay here with the Companions and stop your thieving."

"Aela, I told you, we're not coming back. Even if you don't understand it, we like doing this. We're not going to stop." They were quiet for a moment. "You're not going to turn us in, are you?"

"Aila, you saved the city, last you were here. How can you expect me to turn you in after that?"

"Well I don't, really."

Aela sighed once more. "I wish you would reconsider. The Companions would love to have you back. Speaking of which, you must come to Jorrvaskr while you're here. You can catch up with Vilkas and the others."

Aila smiled and sat up. "Yeah, let's go now. We're not doing anything at the moment."

"Good, let's go."

They stood and left the inn, headed toward Jorrvaskr. That day was far too short for Aila's liking. They spent most of it at Jorrvaskr, talking and spending time with the Companions. Aila also had a little archery contest with Aela. Each was given five arrows, and whoever scored the most points was the winner. The middle of the archery target was ten points, the ring around it was five, the one around that was worth three, and near the edge was worth one. The game ended in a tie. Both had scored the maximum points, hitting the target dead-center each time. Aela was pleasantly surprised to see that Aila had become significantly better with the bow. They also ate their dinner at Jorrvaskr, and they watched and laughed with the others as the Companions partook in their nightly merrymaking, though they exempted themselves from drinking and dancing. At one point, Kathryn did want to dance with Aila, but she refused, saying that it probably wasn't a great idea. Kathryn was disappointed, but she understood her reasoning. Plus, Aila wasn't all that good a dancer.

As it stretched later into the night, Aila began to grow tired, and so she said farewell and walked back to the inn with Kathryn. When she reached her room, she pulled Kathryn into the bed with her, and may have performed some rather carnal activities before eventually falling asleep.

They left early the next morning. Aila wished she could have spent more time with Aela, but they had business in Solitude to take care of. They took the road that headed north, up into the mountains. It was their second day out of Whiterun that Aila noticed that it was steadily getting colder. By the end of that day it was near freezing, and she found herself incredibly grateful for Kathryn's warmth.

Kathryn also went hunting that night. She asked Aila repeatedly if she was alright with her leaving for a while, and Aila insisted that she was even though she would rather have her stay. She didn't want Kathryn to suffer because she was being selfish. After she left, Aila was having trouble thinking about anything but her. She kept thinking about how she felt when her arms were wrapped around her waist, and when her lips were locked with her. Since that only made her miss Kathryn, she tried to think about something else, and her thoughts shifted to Aela and the Companions.

Aila wished she could have spent more time with them. She didn't see them very often and they were rather fun to be around. Even if she didn't drink herself, she had a lot of fun with everyone the night before they left. She was also extremely glad that she was able to keep up with Aela in their archery Competition. But thinking about Aela just reminded her of when she told her of lycanthropy, how scared Kathryn was of her leaving, and the first time they kissed.

Aila shook her head, trying to think about something else. Her thought moved on to Byrnjolf, Delvin, and the others. She missed them. Well, most of them. Not Mercer, or Vex, really. She thought about her sparring matches with Brynjolf, and how odd it was how she was getting better so quickly. When she was training with Vilkas she had made barely any progress. But then thinking of Brynjolf made her think of when she first met him and the job she did for him, as well as the subsequent night she spent with Kathryn, and the first time they made love.

Aila gave up with with a sigh and let her mind fill with the indecent things she would to Kathryn when she returned.

On the third day, it started to snow. Heavily. Aila would lean into Kathryn as much as possible to get all the warmth she could. The snow didn't stop, only periodically lightening and and intensifying every few hours, and lasted until the next day, the day they reached the Labyrinthian.

They left Frost by the entrance to the ruins as a precaution and entered by themselves.

Aila felt the dragon long before she saw it. Oddly though, it felt different from usual. When a dragon was coming before, she had this sense that could only be described as inexorable doom, but now she felt somewhat similar to how she felt while breaking into someone's house. This was the dragon's land, and she was trespassing. "We shouldn't be here."

"You're the one who wanted to come this way," Kathryn replied.

"I know, but..." Aila looked around through the snowfall, seeing the ancient Nordic structures. She never finished her sentence.

The roar pierced the sky. She saw it appear in the air just as it began to land on some sort of domed building "_Bo nah gut!_" It roared. "_Daar nori! Lif nu uv dir!_"

"It seems those rumors were right," Kathryn said, putting her hand on her sword hilt.

Aila barely heard her, as she was busy being very confused. She understood the dragon. Sort of. While she didn't understand the words it used, she understood it's meaning. It wanted them gone. Part of her wanted to oblige it and turn tail and run, but another, very small part of her grew angry. _He dares tell me what to do?_ She called out to it. "We're just passing through! The only other road to Haafingar would add days to our journey! Let us pass and we'll be on our way!"

"I don't think you can reason with a dragon, Aila," Kathryn said.

The dragon seemed to agree. "_Nii los do nid volzahdroz wah zey. Daar hin laat grozein!_"

Aila tsked, the angry part of her growing. "We're not going anywhere!"

"Wait, can you understand it?"

Aila looked at her. "Sort of. It's... weird, but it's like I understand his..."

The dragon's roar interrupted her. "_Ruz hein dez los strin!_" it shouted before taking to the skies.

"Well, there goes that plan," Kathryn said, drawing her sword while her left hand began to glow with frost magic.

Aila heard her take a deep breath. "You nervous?" she asked as she grabbed her bow.

"A little. You?"

"A bit."

"Glad I'm not alone. Aim for the wings?"

The dragon was diving toward them. "It worked last time."

They dived in opposite directions as fire spurted from the dragon's mouth to the ground they were on a moment ago. Aila nocked an arrow and aimed for it, but it was already flying away. It turned to make another pass at them, and Aila had to avoid another stream of fire.

"It won't stay still!" Aila yelled. "I can't hit it!"

"I have an idea!" Kathryn sheathed her sword and put her hands together. They began to glow, and an icicle began to form. It grew in size, becoming much larger than the normal ones. As the dragon came for another pass, Kathryn stayed her ground.

"Be careful!" Aila said.

"I know!" The dragon flew towards her, and as it opened it's mouth, Kathryn threw the spike.

The sheer surprise of the spike lodging itself in the dragon's throat sent it crashing to the ground. It regained its balance, and Aila heard it gag, trying to get the spike out of its throat. It lifted its head and breathed a stream of fire into the sky, melting the spike. Then it turned to Kathryn and started moving toward her.

_Uh-oh,_ Aila thought. _I can't let her get hurt._ She slung her bow across her back and drew her sword and dagger. "_SU!_"

The dragon's attention was pulled entirely away from Kathryn and straight to Aila. It growled angrily at her. "_Dovahkiin._"

It started its clumsy walk toward her, and Aila ran towards it. When she was close enough, the dragon snapped its head forward, trying to grab her with its jaws, but Aila jumped to the side. She ducked under the dragon and thrust her sword upward. The thin scales of its underbelly cracked as the sword plunged into its stomach. The dragon bellowing in pain.

Kathryn came up behind it then, and it roared some more as she sliced the membrane that connected its wing to its torso.

The dragon beat its wings, but with the damage Kathryn did to one of them it could barely get any height. Its tail whipped around, hitting Kathryn in the back and she fell to the ground. It kicked Aila out from under it. It landed again, with its claw over Kathryn, pinning her. It swung its head at Aila as she tried to stand, and she was sent flying.

She landed face-first into a snow pile a few meters away. Her body was screaming at her, but she forced herself to stand, just in time to see the dragon pick up Kathryn with its claws and slam her onto the ground. Kathryn's scream filled her ears, and Aila's rage took over.

She ran screaming toward the dragon. It saw her coming and opened its mouth as fire erupted from its throat.

"_FEIM!_" Her body melted away and the flames washed over her, its heat going unnoticed. She neared the dragon, and the instant she became corporeal she sliced the skin connecting its upper and lower jaw. As it roared in pain, Aila dug her dagger under one of the scales on its neck and pulled as hard as she could. She felt it loosen, and then finally pop off, allowing her to plunge her sword into its neck as far in as it would go.

Its roars became gurgled cries until it finally fell to the ground, dead.

Aila's anger faded away, replaced by overwhelming concern. "Kathryn!" she called as the dragon started to burn away. "Are you okay?"

Her voice was sounded shaky and strained. "Oh, I'm just peachy."

For obvious reasons, Aila didn't believe her. "Are you hurt? Can you move?"

"'Can' being the operative term." She coughed and then winced at the pain the cough caused. "You think you can get this dragon off my back?"

Aila tried, but it was too heavy. She couldn't manage to move its claw off of her. Eventually though, the dragon had burned away completely and Aila took its soul. Its skeleton was all that was left, and all she had to do was break the bones over Kathryn.

After, she rolled Kathryn onto her back, trying to cause her as little pain as possible. She held onto her as tightly as could without hurting her. "How do you feel?

"I've been worse, believe it or not." She coughed again, and then just looked at Aila for a while. "You're really beautiful, you know that?"

Aila laughed. "Kat, we have more important things to focus on."

"Right, right." She placed her hand over her ribs and it began to glow with a golden light. She sighed at the small relief the healing spell gave her.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Aila asked.

"I'll be fine, Aila. I promise. But... I do need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"There are a few healing potions in Frost's saddle. I need you to go get them for me."

"I'm not going to leave you alone," Aila said.

"Didn't you just say you'll do anything?" Kathryn chuckled, and then grunted. "I'll be fine. The dragon's dead, and Frost isn't too far away. I really need those potions, Aila."

Aila sighed. "Okay." She gave Kathryn a kiss and set her gently down onto the ground before going back to Frost.

He whinnied happily when he saw her. She dug around in the saddlebag until she found what she was looking for, and then went back to Kathryn with Frost trotting behind her.

She knelt beside her, uncorking the potion bottle and holding it up to Kathryn's mouth.

Kathryn tried to drink without spitting it back up. "_Blech._ It tastes like rancid skeever piss."

"Just drink it," Aila told her, uncorking the other bottle. "It'll help."

"I know, I know."

"Can you stand?" Aila asked after she downed the last bottle.

"I think so."

It took some effort, and no small amount of pain, but Kathryn was able to stand and climb on top of Frost. Aila climbed up after her, and they headed out of the the Labyrinthian. Kathryn kept a healing spell going, but it wasn't very strong and did little more than alleviate the pain. Even so it helped.

Aila hoped they would find a healer in Morthal.


	32. 31: Morthal

Morthal

Aila knocked twice on the door in front of her while simultaneously supporting Kathryn by letting her lean on her.

A few moments later the door opened slightly to reveal a redguard in blue robes, who Aila presumed was Falion. "Yes? Can I help you?" he asked rather suspiciously.

"I hope so," Aila replied. "I asked around and people said you were the only mage in Morthal. Are you any good a restoration?"

"I know a fair bit." He then took notice of Kathryn's pained expression that she was trying to conceal. The door opened wider and he gestured for them to enter. "Come on in. Forgive my initial suspicion. The people of Morthal distrust mages with a passion. Not all of my visitors are good-intentioned. Now, what exactly is the problem?"

"Well, pretty much my entire body hurts," Kathryn said, grimacing at the words. "Mostly my chest, though. Pretty sure a few of my ribs are broken."

The mage furrowed his eyebrows, no doubt puzzled as to what could make someone's entire body hurt. "I see. Well, take off your armour and lay on that bed over there. I'll take a look at it."

Aila and Kathryn exchanged a look.

Falion noticed. "Well, you don't expect me to work through your armour, do you?"

Kathryn sighed, knowing he was right. Aila helped her out of the top half of her armour and she let out a small whine when she saw her skin. Almost all her chest was covered in a black and brown bruise. She tentatively placed a hand on her skin and recoiled immediately when Kathryn winced.

"Oh my…" Falion started.

Kathryn slowly made her way to the bed and grunted as she lay down. Aila kneeled down on the opposite side of her as Falion. He positioned his hands just above her skin as they began to glow with healing magic. His eyes widened as he realized the full extent of the damage. "How exactly did this happen?"

Kathryn laughed, and then winced. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"A dragon picked me up then slammed me into the ground."

Falion just gaped at her.

"Told you."

"How bad is it?" Aila asked, not really sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Almost every one of her ribs is broken. Some in more than one place. None of them have punctured her lungs, luckily, but several are pressing into them."

"So that's why it hurts so much to breathe."

Her nonchalant response astonished Falion. "You must have an incredible tolerance for pain."

Kathryn scoffed. "Try having every one of bones bend and break at the same time."

"Kat..." Aila said softly.

"I know, I know. Look, how much do you think you can help?"

"Well… I should be able to at least set all the bones in their proper place. It'll take a while, though. About an hour. Maybe two."

"Oh, wonderful." Kathryn said, letting the sarcasm drip. "There's nothing I love more than staying in one place for long periods of time."

"Would you rather do it yourself?" Aila asked her. "With that extremely basic healing spell you know?"

"Aila, stop being so sensible."

Aila chuckled softly and took her hand. "We've got time."

Time that was spent trying to keep Kathryn calm. It was very rare, Aila knew, for Kathryn to ever be able to stay still for long periods of time. The only times Aila could think of when she could was when they were alone, cuddling together. But naturally, of course, she wasn't going just cuddle up next to her with Falion tending to her wounds, and Aila was at a loss for what to do. She was having the same problem as when they were travelling to Whiterun. She was just glad it would only be an hour or so, and not a few days.

Eventually, the healing session came to an end. Falion dropped his hands, looking rather pale. "I'm… afraid that's all I can do."

Kathryn sat up and breathed deeply. "Oh, that feels so much better. Thank you."

Falion waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, really. But you still aren't fully healed. You're going to need plenty of time off to rest and recover."

Aila sighed sadly. "As much as I have to agree with you, I'm afraid that's not going to happen."

Falion blinked. "... And why not?"

Aila glared at Kathryn and gave her a dramatic poke. "Because this one is too stubborn to realize would a little sleep would do for her. You saw how she was, do you think she could lay in bed long enough to fall asleep?"

"She must sleep sometime," Falion insisted.

"Sometimes, yes."

"Okay, okay," Kathryn said as Aila helped her put her armour back on. "I get it. I'll… rest. Come on, Aila, let's go to the inn. We need a room."

"Coming," Aila said. But first, she took out a large coinpurse from somewhere and gave it to Falion for his services.

He thanked her as she walked out of his house with Kathryn.

Kathryn was doing better. She able to walk without Aila's help, but she was still obviously pained, even if she was trying to hide it. "How do you feel?" Aila asked.

"Like I was stepped on by a mammoth," she answered. "But better. It hard to realize how much you take breathing for granted until every breath you take feels like someone punching you in the gut."

"So you don't hurt as much?"

"Well, no, not really. I mean, it's so much easier to breathe, but I don't really hurt any less."

Aila thought about the condition she was in. Her ribs were broken. Almost all of them. There was also bruising on her arms and back from where the dragon grabbed her. Aila couldn't help but admire her. She was almost definitely in much more pain than she was letting on, yet she was acting like she had done little more than stub her toe. Kathryn was strong, in more ways than one, and Aila found her strength so endearing.

"And I'm conflicted. Really, I want nothing more than to rent a room, fall into the bed, and stay as still as possible, but then I would be really bored. It's gotten so much harder for me to stay still ever since I started to turn."

"Yeah, I noticed. But you heard what Falion said, you need rest. You're not going to heal by running around."

"Fine. But you have to have to keep me company."

Aila smiled. "Of course."

They had almost reached the inn when its doors flung open and a woman came walking out. She was dressed in some less-than-modest clothing, and when she emerged, Kathryn's hand went up to her nose. "Oh Gods," she said. "What is that smell?"

Aila sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."

The woman passed them by, and as she did, Aila noticed that her eyes never left Kathryn. And then she noticed that Kathryn's never left the woman. "Hey! What are you looking at?"

Kathryn didn't seem to hear her. That's when Aila heard a low growl coming from her.

"Hey!" Aila yelled again, hitting her lightly in the chest.

"Ow!" Kathryn exclaimed, returning her attention to Aila. "What was that for?"

"Don't growl at people."

"I… was I?

Aila nodded.

"Sorry, it's just… I don't know, that woman was making me angry for some reason."

"Why? You don't even know her."

Kathyrn just shrugged.

"Well, come on. We need a room."

Kathryn agreed and entered the inn after Aila. They rented a room together and went to check it out. Kathryn lowered herself onto the bed with a groan. "I think I'm just going to lay down for a while. I'll admit, motion has its disadvantages, right now."

Aila chuckled and sat next to her on the bed. "Just what I wanted to hear. You hungry?"

"Always."

Aila laughed again. She cupped Kathryn's cheek and leaned in for a kiss. "Okay. I'll go get you some food. Don't move." Aila went back to the bar and ordered some food for the two of them. When it was ready, she brought it back to Kathryn. "Here you are, love. Some nice juicy horker meat, grilled and seasoned leeks and two delicious slices of goat cheese."

Kathryn ate with her food in her lap, trying to move her torso as little as possible. It hurt to swallow, she said, but it didn't stop her from eating. As they ate, they talked about what they were going to do when they arrived at Solitude. They needed to find Gulum-Ei, somehow. Their best bet would be to just ask some official at the East Empire Trading Company, but that might call some unwanted attention. They decided to just stick to innkeepers and shop owners, and avoid any high-ranking members of society. But there was one problem that neither of them had an easy solution to. After they found Gulum-Ei, and what if he didn't give them the answered they wanted? Kathryn could be threatening if she wanted to be, but neither of them wanted to be hostile if they could avoid it. By now, though, Aila knew that things rarely went as planned.

They decided to deal with things as they came, and to focus on getting Kathryn better for now. After they finished supper, Aila laid in bed with Kathryn and eventually fell asleep, cuddling up right next to her. Kathryn ran her hand through her sleeping lover's hair to try to calm herself and keep herself from having a fit, but as it grew later into the night, she began to think she wasn't going to make it. She wanted to move, but doing so hurt too much.

At some point, Kathryn noticed an odd smell in the air. A strange, smoky smell, like a fire was burning nearby. Then she began to hear shouts muffled through the walls of her room. She would have gone outside to see what it was, but that would have caused her more pain than she cared to have at the moment. She was hurting enough already. Frustrated, she concentrated a healing spell to her chest, hoping it would speed up her healing at least a little, as well as to give her something to focus on until dawn.


	33. 32: Ghost

Ghost

Aila woke, sitting up and stretching out her arms. A few moments later she heard, "Oh good, you're awake. Let's do something."

Aila yawned. "Huh?"

"Let's do something," Kathryn said again. "I can't take sitting around any longer. I need to move."

Aila shook her head. "You need to rest."

"I have rested!" Kathryn insisted. "If I rest anymore I'm going to explode!"

"That doesn't even make sense."

"You know what I mean! There was a bunch of commotion last night, and I want to know what it was."

"What sort of commotion?" Aila asked.

"I don't know, that's why I want to go check. Come on, I promise I'll be careful."

"Alright, alright. As long as you're careful."

"Yes!" Kathryn exclaimed. She stood from bed, grunting in pain as she did so.

Aila sighed and shook her head.

They both left the inn in search for whatever might have caused the disturbance that Kathryn heard last night. It didn't take too long to find. There was a house at the edge of the small lake in the middle of the city. It was nearly burned to the ground. Ashes covered the ground around it and the walls crumbled, wooden beams still sticking out ruined building. There was a single guard standing in front of the entrance. Kathryn called out to her. "Excuse me!"

The guard looked their way. "Yes? What is it?"

"Could you tell me what happened here? What happened to this house? It wasn't like this yesterday. At least, I don't think it was."

"No, it wasn't," the guard answered. "House caught fire last night. Caused Hroggar his wife and daughter. Poor sod. Unless you believe the rumors."

"Rumors? What rumors?"

"That Hroggar set the fire himself."

"What?!" both Kathryn and Aila exclaimed in unison.

"Why would someone set fire to his own home?" Aila asked. "Especially if his family was inside!"

The guard shrugged. "That's just what they say. Don't believe them myself. Makes no sense to me."

"Of course not! I don't know who this Hroggar is, but there's no way anyone could be that heartless."

The guard merely shrugged once more. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way I've got to stay here to make sure no one enters the crime scene without permission, so unless there's anything else, you two had best be on your way."

"I guess not," Kathryn said. "Let's go, Aila."

"Wait, just one last thing," Aila said. "Where is Hroggar now?"

The guard thought for a moment. "Working over by the mill, I suppose."

"Okay, thanks." Aila headed out toward the mill with Kathryn trailing behind her.

Suddenly the guard called out to them. "Oh, and the Jarl asked for volunteers to look into the case. Go to her if your interested."

"We'll think about it."

As they walked, Kathryn started a healing spell and held it over her chest. "Does it hurt?" Aila asked.

"Yeah," Kathryn responded. "Not as much as it did, though. But why do you want to go see Hroggar? We're not really going to investigate, are we? I just wanted to know what happened last night, that was it. I don't want to get caught up in anything."

"No, of course not. I just want to see why anyone would want to spread rumors like that. I just can't believe anyone would try to kill his own family."

"I completely agree, that's horrible. But you don't know for sure. Those rumors are probably false, and even if they are true that doesn't mean he wanted to kill his family. Maybe he's just some pyromaniac who got a little too carried away."

"Maybe, but there's just one more thing bothering me."

"What's that?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but if my house was burned to the ground and my family killed I would be too distraught to even think about working."

Kathryn was silent for a moment. "You've got a point, there."

"Come on," Aila said, taking Kathryn's hand.

Nearing the mill, a man came up to them. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Is Hroggar here?" Aila asked.

The man's face darkened with a look of enmity. "Yes, he is."

Aila had a pretty good idea of what that look meant. "You think he set the fire."

"Of course he did! I go to him and say 'So sorry about your loss, no need for you to work tomorrow,' my heart's not made of stone, you know, but he comes anyway looking none the worse for wear. 'I'm fine,' he says, 'Alva takes care of me now.' Fucking whore."

Aila ignored his vulgarity. "Alva? Who's that?"

The man waved off the question. "Ah, no matter. I'm sick of fretting over it. You wanted to see Hroggar, he's over there, chopping wood," he said before walking off.

Aila and Kathryn went of over to the man chopping wood. "Hroggar?" Aila said.

The man looked up. "Yes?"

"I heard about what happened. I just came over to offer my condolences."

Hroggar looked at her with a strange, distant look in his eye. He paused for a moment, like he was not sure what she was talking about. Then he said in an emotionless tone, "Ah, yes, the fire. That was a shame."

Aila was stunned. Of all the different ways she imagined him to act, this was definitely not one of them. And his tone irritated her. "A shame? Your family is killed and all you have to say is that it was 'a shame?'"

"Aila..." Kathryn said softly.

Hroggar just looked at them passively. "I have Alva now. She takes care of me."

"Alva again!" Aila exclaimed. "Who in Oblivion is Alva?"

Kathryn suddenly started to pull Aila away. "Come on Aila, let's just leave him be."

"What? But..."

Kathryn ignored her protests and dragged her along.

Once they were out of earshot, Aila said. "Look, I'm sorry I started yelling, but you heard him! How else was I supposed to act?"

"Oh no, I'm with you utterly. If I had to hear him speak much longer I would've started wailing on him myself."

"Oh. Then why did you pull me away?"

"You were crushing my hand. Still are, actually."

"Huh?" Aila looked down at they're entwined hands. In her growing anger, she had tightened her grip to the point that her knuckles had gone white. "Oh! Sorry!" She exclaimed, letting go.

Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief as she rubbed her hand. "That's better. Seriously, when did you get so strong?"

Aila let out a halfhearted laugh. "Yeah right. Well, come on," she said, and started walking.

Kathryn followed obediently behind her. "Um... where are we going now?"

"To the Longhouse."

"The... Jarl's Longhouse? Why are we... Oh no, you said we wouldn't get involved!"

"That was before we met _him_."

Kathryn let out a reluctant sigh. "Oh well. At least its something to do."

After a few moments of walking, Kathryn spoke up suddenly. "This feels weird."

Aila looked back at her quizzically. "What does?"

"I don't know just... this. Me, following you. Usually it's the other way around."

Aila frowned at her. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Kathryn shook her head. "No, not at all! I'm just not used to it."

Aila looked at her for a moment. "Okay..."

They continued walking in silence. Aila still wasn't really sure what she meant, be she let the matter drop.

Aila pushed open the doors of the Longhouse and saw several people straighten at the sight of a visitor. She headed for the the throne at the far end of the room where an old woman sat, but was stopped halfway by a rather burly Nord.

"Halt," he said. "What business do you have with the Jarl?"

Aila looked up at him. "Who ever said I wanted to speak with the Jarl? I mean, you're right, but you really shouldn't assume." She heard Kathryn stifle a laugh.

The Nord scowled down at her. "Do you know who you are speaking to?"

The old woman on the throne called out. "Enough, Gorm. Let her pass."

The Nord, Gorm, bowed slightly. "As you wish."

Aila and Kathryn walked past him and stood in front of the old lady. "Hello, uh..." Aila suddenly realized that she didn't actually know the woman's name. So she went with simply, "Jarl."

"That's 'my Jarl', girl." Gorm said from behind her. She ignored him.

"Hello, indeed." The old lady said. "So, life had brought you to Morthal, and to me. What purpose this serves, we shall no doubt see. Welcome."

Aila wasn't really sure how to respond to that, other than, "That rhymed."

The old lady smirked at her. "So it did. Now, what can this old woman do for you?"

_I like her,_ Aila thought. _She's very easy-going. _"I want to help investigate the fire."

"Hroggar's house fire? He lost his wife and daughter in the blaze."

"Yes, I know. I want to know why. Is there anything you can tell me?"

"Not without first searching the ruins of the crime scene."

"You mean you haven't done that already?" Aila asked. "Why not?"

"My people believe it to be cursed now. Who am I to gainsay them?"

Kathryn stepped in. "Well, what does Hroggar say happened?"

"He blames his wife for spilling bear fat in the fire. Many think he set the fire himself."

Aila clenched her fists. "So I've heard. But why would he do that? I don't understand."

The old Jarl shook her head sadly. "Lust can make a man do the unthinkable. The ashes were still warm when he pledged himself to Alva."

"Alva... so that's who she is." Aila was liking this story less and less. "Let me get this straight. Hroggar's house burns to the ground, killing his wife and child. Immediately after, he goes to some woman, which in itself raises plenty of suspicion, and then there's the fact that I saw him just moments ago and he seems perfectly content knowing his family's dead. Tell me again why he's not in jail already?"

The Jarl gave her a look that suggested she wasn't entirely pleased with the situation either. "Arrest a man on rumor and gossip? No. But you, strangers, might find the truth. Sift through the ashes others are too fearful to touch. See what they tell you. Should you prove Hroggar guilty or innocent, I shall reward you."

Aila nodded. "Let's go, Kat."

They exited the building and headed back to the ruins. The guard there greeted them. "You two again. What brings you back here?"

"We talked to the Jarl, like you suggested. She told us to search the ruins."

The guard nodded and stepped out of the way. "Go right ahead then."

They went in and began to look around. Neither was quite sure what to look for, but they assumed they would know when they saw it. Aila began searching trough the ashes while Kathryn looked for signs of any kind magickal tampering. A few minutes later, Aila said, "I don't think this caused by bear fat."

"What makes you say that?" Kathryn asked, running her hands along on of the walls.

"If it was, then there would be burnt fat in the fireplace, but there isn't. There's nothing but ash."

"Then what caused it? I'm certainly no expert, but I can't detect any magick in here, so either we're missing something, or-" she cut off suddenly.

"Or what?"

No response.

"Kathryn?" she turned to look at her. She was staring wide-eyed at the corner of the room, unmoving. Aila followed her gaze and nearly stumbled in surprise. A few months ago, had she seen what she was seeing now, she might have screamed in fright, but now she was simply very startled.

"Who are you?" the ghost girl said. "What are you doing in my house?"

Aila gulped, unsure what to do. She looked at Kathryn, but she was as lost as she was. Aila thought for a short moment and decided to take a chance. She went over to the girl, who backed away in response, looking frightened. "I-It's okay," Aila reassured her, when she really wanted to reassure herself. "We're not going to hurt you."

The ghost looked at her doubtfully.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Aila asked. She wasn't sure why she added 'sweetie', but it felt necessary.

"H... Helgi," the ghost girl said hesitantly. Then she rushed out, "But I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

Aila shook her head and knelt down in front of the ghost girl. "We're not strangers. We're friends. I'm Aila, and this is Kathryn."

"Aila..." Helgi repeated. "That's a pretty name."

Aila smiled at her comment. "Thank you very much." She glanced at Kathryn, who was also smiling, and then back to the girl. "Helgi... do you know what happened to your house?"

Helgi looked as if she was struggling to remember for a moment. "I... I woke up... and there was lots of smoke and fire. It was so hot. I was scared. And then... then it got cold."

Aila suddenly became aware of tears in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly before any of them fell. She was trying to stay strong but... this was just an innocent girl. There was no reason for her to die like this. It made her unbearably sad.

"I'm not scared anymore," Helgi continued. "But I'm lonely. Will you play with me?" she asked with a hopeful glint in her pale eyes.

Aila nodded and subconsciously reached out to the girl's cheek, surprised when she actually made contact. She was so cold. "Of course. What would you like to play?"

"Hide and seek!" she exclaimed excitedly. "You can try and find me. But we have to wait until night, though. The other one is playing too, and she can't come out during the day."

Aila's brow furrowed. "Other one? What other one?"

Little Helgi shook her head, suddenly looking frightened again, which worried Aila. "I can't tell you, she might hear me. She's so close."

"What do you mean?" asked Aila. "Who is?"

Helgi simply grabbed her hand and said, "Please, come and find me," before fading away.

"Helgi?" Aila said, vainly looking around for the ghost girl, but she had disappeared. She sighed sadly and stood, staring glumly at the spot where Helgi was just moments before. She became aware of Kathryn's presence just behind her as a pair of warm, comforting arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"That was..." Kathryn started. "strange."

Aila merely nodded in agreement.

"So now we find Helgi. She could be anywhere."

Aila shook her head. "No. Not anywhere."

"You have an idea?"

Aila nodded. "Where does anyone go to find the dead? A graveyard."


	34. 33: Vampire

**A/N: **This chapter it 4,173 words. I'm pretty sure that's the longest to date. Not only that, I actually really like this chapter, it was fun writing and it gives Aila some long-deserved badassery, so enjoy!

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Vampire

Neither Aila nor Kathryn could shake their anxiety as they waited for nightfall. Their encounter with the ghost Helgi had left them jarred emotionally.. The wait gave Kathryn time to heal, a process accelerated by Falion, but she was unusually quiet. She'd barely said a word since the encounter, which worried Aila, but all things considered, she wasn't too surprised. She would worry more later, if she was still so withdrawn.

This little quest of hers had certainly taken and unexpected turn, and Aila wasn't quite sure either of them was mentally prepared to continue. They would, however, continue regardless. Leaving with things as is was not an option. Neither's conscious would allow it. By this point, Aila was convinced that an innocent child had been murdered, and she wouldn't rest until she found out why, and by who.

The obvious answer was Hroggar, but she still had no evidence against him. That, and something about him was just... off. Bedsides the fact that he allegedly murdered his wife and child, there was something about that distant look in his eye and his detached tone that Aila just couldn't put her finger on. Aila was having a hard time believing that he, that anyone, could be so cold-hearted.

They waited quietly for the last of the sun's rays to fall over the mountains. Time seemed to stretch on and on as they sky grew darker and the stars emerged, until finally dusk turned to night.

"Ready?" Aila asked at last.

Kathryn nodded wordlessly, and together they headed off to the graveyard, wary and alert.

They passed by several tombs and gravestones, looking for the one that belonged to Helgi. Suddenly Kathryn stopped, and Aila in turn, lifting her head and sniffing the air. Her nose crinkled in disgust. "That smell again."

"What smell?" Aila wondered.

"I don't know, but it's awful. Worse than that Ratway." She sniffed again. "This way."

Many images passed through Aila's mind when she thought of finding the grave, none of which quite matched up with what she saw.

A coffin, small, almost certainly belonging to Helgi, was dug half-way out of the ground. More unnerving than that, however, was the woman knelt down beside it, clawing at the dirt frantically. She didn't notice the two at first, not until Kathryn muttered, "What in the..." at which point her head snapped to them. Then she did something both peculiar and terrifying.

She inhaled deeply, very deeply, like she was savouring some kind of scent. Aila even swore she saw her eyes roll back in her head. Then her eyes locked with Aila's, now glowing a bright, startling red. Before anyone could reacted, she pounced on Aila, pinning her to the ground and locking her in place.

"Aila!" Kathryn shouted as she moved to try and pull the woman off, but she was shoved back roughly.

Aila struggled under the woman's grasp, but her grip was like iron. She didn't understand how anyone could be so strong.

Aila wasn't truly scared until she opened her mouth. Two long, menacing fangs protruded where her canines should be, and Aila suddenly had a guess at where her ungodly strength came from. And then Aila screamed in pain as the woman bit into her neck violently. She felt blood drain from her as the woman let out a sickeningly euphoric moan. She desperately tried to push her off, but she wouldn't move an inch. When she started to she spots in her vision, she panicked and did the only thing that came to mind.

"_FEIM!"_

The vampire grunted in surprise when she hit the ground, Aila no longer in her grasp. Aila stood, becoming corporeal as she pulled her bow off her back and nocked an arrow, aiming it at the vampire. Kathryn appeared at her side, relief written all over her face, but not yet bothering with words. She readied an ice spell in her hands and faced the vampire.

The vampire turned to Aila, once again looking ready to pounce. "More," she murmured, almost to herself. "I need more. I've never had blood so sweet." She took a step forward.

"Stay back!" Kathryn warned.

The vampire hardly spared her a second glance, her attention entirely on Aila. She charged forward, and Aila quickly loosed and arrow into her shoulder. It growled in pain, but didn't stop her advance. Kathryn threw and Ice Spike that pierced her in the gut. She doubled over briefly, but then violently yanked the spike out and charged again, her injuries seemingly nonexistent.

When she neared Aila, Kathryn growled. But not the low and seductive growl Aila heard in bed, but loud, and fierce.

"Stay away from her!"

The vampire faltered at the sound and hissed at Kathryn. "Out of my way, mutt!"

Kathryn drew her sword then.

"Kathryn don't!" Aila yelled, but Kathryn didn't listen. She swung at the vampire, but instead of trying to dodge out of the way of her sword like she expected, she caught it by the blade, apparently not caring about the damage she was doing to herself. She twisted it out of Kathryn's hand and clawed at her. Kathryn managed to jump back in time for only a bit of her armour to tear, but the effort itself must have been painful anyway, considering the state of her ribs.

"Damn it," Aila mutter, her anger flaring up.

_"SU!" _

Her bow in her left hand, Aila drew her sword with her right and ran to the vampire. She quickly sliced the vampire's side and she hissed ferociously and clawed at her, but Aila caught her wrist with the end of her bow. Then Aila thrust her sword forward and impaled her.

The vampire screeched and Aila kicked her back, leaving her sword stuck in her. Aila drew an arrow and fired it into her foot, and hopefully the ground as well, temporarily immobilizing her.

Aila turned to Kathryn then, and glared accusingly at her, ignoring the fact that her eyes were glowing golden. This vampire was really affecting her. "Kathryn stay out of this! You're too badly injured to fight!"

Kathryn growled angrily. "I'm not going to let you-"

But Aila had neither the time nor the mood to argue. "_Mulhaan!" _she shouted with so much force that the ground around them rumbled slightly.

Kathryn was so stunned that she could do nothing but comply, her eyes even fading back to their normal silver.

Pleased, Aila turned back to the vampire, oblivious to what she had just done. She had already removed the arrow in her foot (and apparently the one in her shoulder as well) and was currently pulling out the sword in her stomach. Then Aila realized she had accidentally given the vampire a weapon. She sighed irritably and drew her dagger.

The woman was fast, but that wasn't a problem. Her Shout enabled her to keep up. The problem was her strength. Aila used her bow as a pseudo-shield, but every hit was jarring and she was worried about damaging her bow. She was just glad she didn't still have her old wooden one.

The only thing in her favour was that the vampire didn't seem too skilled in swordplay. Aila parried and attack and cut her arm, hopping to get her to drop the sword. The vampire hissed but kept her grip tight. Before she could recover though, Aila twirled around her and stabbed her in the back.

"How are you not dead already?!" Aila screamed frustratedly, pulling the dagger from her body.

The vampire snarled at her. "I will have your blood!"

Aila jumped back to avoid the vampire's swing then quickly closed the distance between them and slashed her chest. When she growled, Aila began to wonder whether vampires truly were immortal. She began racking her brain for anything she knew that could help her. All she could come up with was that they burned in the sunlight, which wasn't all that helpful at the moment. Fire may have worked, but she didn't have any of that. Kathryn knew a spell, but Aila didn't want to get her involved.

Aila blocked another hit and felt the impact resonate through her. She was really getting sick of this vampire using _her _sword. She shoved the her away, leaving another cut in the process. Then she quickly drew and nocked an arrow (finding it harder than usual with the dagger in her hand) and fired it at the vampire's sword hand. The plan worked wonderfully, she dropped the sword and clutched her arrow-impaled hand.

Aila slung her bow across her back, switching hands with her dagger and rushed forward. Before the vampire could, she picked up the sword and pushed her to the ground.

As the vampire stumbled, Aila allowed herself to survey the situation. The vampire, she noticed, struggled to get up, looking significantly more pained than a moment ago. She had also now lost her only weapon, giving Aila two (three if she counted her bow, which she did). She had six puncture wounds; one in her foot, hand, and shoulder; two in her stomach and one in her back; as well as several cuts and gashes all along her body.

Meanwhile, Alia was wholly unharmed, with nothing but two small pricks in her neck that she had already forgotten were there. And with all the adrenaline running through her veins, she couldn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue.

Aila had pretty much won already.

She sheathed both her sword and dagger, instead opting to use her bow for her last attack. She calmly walked up to the vampire, who was currently on her knees. She drew one final arrow, nocked it, and pulled until the string was tight. The vampire looked up at her, hissed harshly and jumped at her.

The following _thwack _of the bow was all that was heard as the vampire fell to Aila's feet with an arrow in her head.

With the threat now gone, the world seemed to calm, and as Aila looked down at the recently renewed corpse, a thought crossed her mind. Six. In the span of three months, she had killed six things of significance. Three dragons, two humans, and now a vampire. Before she'd hardly harm more than a bug, she'd be too scared to. But now the number was increasing rapidly, and Aila couldn't help but wonder: just how much killing would she commit before her life was spent.

A voice pulled her out of her musings.

"You found me!"

Aila whipped around, startled, and searched for the source of the voice. Her eyes laid to rest on the coffin. "Helgi?"

The voice sounded again. "Laelette was trying to find me too, but I'm glad you found me first."

"Laelette?" Aila repeated. "You mean the…" her voice trailed off and she looked at the corpse.

"Laelette was told to get rid of mommy and me, so she set our house on fire. But she didn't want to kill me, she wanted to play with me forever and ever, so she kissed my neck and I got so cold that fire didn't even hurt.

"But she can't play with me," she added sadly. "I'm all burnt up now."

She paused briefly, and Aila wanted nothing more than to comfort the girl, but she hadn't the slightest idea how.

"I'm tired," Helgi said eventually. "I think I'm going to sleep for a while now." She went silent after that.

Aila sighed and looked back to Kathryn, and noticed that she hadn't moved an inch the entire time. "You know, you can move now."

At her words, Kathryn tentatively moved toward her. She stood in front of Aila looking like she wanted to say something. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing ever came out. Eventually she just shook her head and stepped forward, placing a hand on Aila's neck and began healing the bite marks.

Aila looked up into her silver eyes. "Thanks."

"Of course," she replied softly.

Minutes of silence later, Aila was convinced that she had frightened her. She didn't blame her, Aila was frightened of herself. She couldn't remember when it became so easy to kill. Even if it was a vampire. No, especially if it was.

She tried to think of something to do, some way to apologize for her ruthlessness, but Kathryn spoke up before she could.

"Aila… the vampire… she smells exactly like the woman we met the other day. The one that angered me for no reason."

Aila glanced down at the corpse. "You mean…?"

Kathryn nodded. "I think that woman was a vampire as well."

Aila sighed and pulled Kathryn into her arms, careful not to hurt her ribs, and rested her head on her chest. "Why though? Why are they here? And what do they have to do with Helgi's death?"

She felt Kathryn shake her head. "I have no idea."

They had to be missing something. Why would Laelette the vampire be ordered to kill Hroggar's wife and child? And why did she try to turn Helgi?"

"What if..." Aila started, the gears in her head spinning in overdrive. "What if that woman was Alva?"

"Alva?" Kathryn asked, looking a bit baffled. "What makes you think that?"

"Well… Laelette was ordered to kill Hroggar's family. The only reason I can think of for a vampire to listen to anyone is it was by another vampire. Maybe the one that turned them?"

"And you think that's Alva?" Kathryn questioned. She didn't sound skeptic, she was just trying to understand her reasoning.

"Who else had anything to gain from their murder?" Aila continued. "I don't know what she wants Hroggar for, but whatever the reason she probably found his family to be an inconvenience so she had them killed."

Kathryn was silent a moment as she processed the information. "That… makes a startling amount of sense. Okay then, Alva's a vampire. What now?"

"We should-" Aila stopped herself before she could say more.

"Aila? We should what?"

"N-nothing. Actually, I'm not really sure what to do right now," she lied. She did have plan, but didn't want to involve Kathryn in it. At least not with her shattered ribs. "Why don't you see Falion and heal up a bit more," Aila said, her tone a bit more demanding than she meant it to be. She hoped Kathryn wouldn't notice. "I'm going to go see the Jarl and tell her what we've found so far." Another lie.

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I come with you?"

Aila shook her head. "I want you to be healed as much as possible tomorrow in case we get into any more fights. And afterwards, I want you to try and get some sleep."

Kathryn gave her a puzzled look. "Aila, you know I won't be able to-"

Aila cut her off. "Just try, Kat. I've known you long enough to figure out your sleeping pattern by know, you should know that. You normally sleep a few hours a week, you haven't in almost two. I know you're beginning to feel tired, don't wait until you're exhausted. I'll join you in a bit, I promise." That, at least, she fully intended to fulfill.

Kathryn looked at her like she wanted to argue, but she just sighed and nodded. "Okay."

Aila smiled softly, feeling slightly guilty about lying but not letting it show. It was for Kathryn's own sake after all. "Thank you." She lifted herself up to her toes and gave her a sweet kiss.

Aila walked Kathryn to Falion's where they parted ways, but she didn't head to the Longhouse like she told Kathryn. Instead, she asked a nearby guard where she could find Alva's house. She thought she would have to persuade that guard to just give away personal information to a random stranger, but he answered eagerly, along with some extra information.

He told her Alva was never seen during the day and spent her evenings in the tavern. This little tidbit not only solidified her theory, but also gave her the perfect opportunity.

She found the house easily, and getting in was even easier. She glanced around quickly to make sure no one was around then slid a pick into the lock. A few short seconds later, the door clicked open and she quickly slipped inside and looked around.

The first thing she saw was a fist rushing toward her face. She side-stepped easily and the owner of the fist went flying past her. Surprisingly, it was Hroggar.

Aila raised an eyebrow as he steadied himself. "You know what? I'm just going to save time and ask you directly. Why did Alva have your family killed?" She demanded.

Hroggar didn't answer her. He just flung himself at her again.

Aila simply moved out of the way. Gods, it was like he was moving in slow motion, _that's _how pathetic it was. "You're not going to answer me, are you?"

She took his third 'attack' as a no. She sighed as he come running toward her, and this time as she dodged out of the way, she stuck her leg out as he passed her. He tripped over it, and her fell to the floor, hitting his head with a loud _clunk._ He went still after that, and Aila judged that he had knocked himself out.

Aila rolled her eyes. She was beginning to regret lying to Kathryn if this was all the danger present. But still… better safe than sorry. Kathryn would be pissed if she knew she was doing this on her own, but she couldn't risk Kathryn getting even more injured.

Even if now it seemed about as likely as Mercer inviting her over for a cup of tea.

Aila refocused her attention to the room around her. She didn't see anything unusual, so far it just looked like an average household. She did, however, see a staircase leading down into what looked like a basement or cellar. She hopped down the stairs (quietly, of course) and opened the door at the bottom.

A large, open room was on the other side, void of anything other than a solitary coffin laying on the floor. _Do vampires actually sleep in coffins? _Aila pondered. _I thought that was a myth._

Standing over the coffin, Aila pulled out her dagger and braced herself for whatever my be inside, but when she pulled open the lid, there was nothing save for a book. Curious, Aila sheathed her dagger and reached for it. After opening it and reading through it, Aila discovered that it was a diary. Specifically, Alva's diary. How lucky.

The diary spoke of a man named Movarth. He seemed to be the one that turned Alva into a vampire. Apparently he had a hideout in a cave near Morthal, and together they planned to enslave the whole city one by one and use them as cattle for an endless supply of blood for their sick desires. Hroggar was the first victim. She used him to keep an eye on the house while she slept during the day. Aila couldn't help but chuckle darkly after reading that. She really should've picked a better person.

There was one entry in particular that called her attention, though; the last one.

* * *

_That idiot! I told her to get rid of them discreetly and what does she do? She burns the fucking house to the ground! And what's worse is she tried to turn the girl too! Worthless. I should have just drained her dry. And to top it all off, Hroggar tells me the strangers have started looking into the fire._

_ I'm just lucky the wolf didn't recognize my scent. Either she's new blood, or she's never encountered a vampire before. No matter. I can take her either way. Movarth once told me that wolf's blood tastes delectable, despite their horrid stench. Perhaps I can use this opportunity to try some. Odd that she doesn't have a pack, though. She just travels with that girl._

_ Oh, the girl... Just thinking of her make my mouth water. I've never come across such an alluring scent before. She smells of fire and ash, so potent, and so sweet. And vaguely of pine needles, oddly enough. Burning pine needles, perhaps? Such a queer scent. Oh, but I must have her blood! It took everything I had not to drain her when I first set eyes on her. So small and helpless, I may have just done just that if not for the wolf. Oh, and I should bring her to Movarth as well, so we can share her divine blood. Though, I'm tempted to just keep her for myself._

_ … I must think on this. I have time. Even if they somehow discover Laelette's role in all this, there's no way they can trace it back to me._

* * *

Aila set the book down and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. She was angry, and the reasons for her anger were frustrating her. They frustrated her because they shouldn't have angered her, and that only added to her frustration. The first reason was obvious, and understandable. She had insulted Kathryn. She hated when anyone spoke badly of her, especially concerning her wolf.

The second and third reasons were what frustrated her. Not that they weren't rage-inducing in their own right, but what confused her was that they normally never bothered _her._

Second was that Alva had referred to Aila as small and helpless. She may be small, there was nothing she could do about that, but she was far from helpless. She had proved that less than an hour ago when she killed Laelette. Third was that she spoke of Aila as if she was just a _thing _to be owned by her. That infuriated her the most. She did not belong to anyone! Maybe Kathryn. No, if anything, Kathryn belonged to _her!_

Aila took a deep breath to try and calm her mind and slow her thoughts. _No, Kathryn and I are a couple. We belong to each other._ She took several more breathes and felt her anger subside, but she couldn't make it disappear completely.

Deciding it was best to move in case Alva came back, Aila grabbed the diary and headed out, passing a still-unconscious Hroggar, to the Longhouse, still feeling rather irked.

The doors swung open loudly and Aila marched in, not caring about the looks she was getting. She was somewhat surprised that the Jarl was still sitting in her throne considering it was night. Though not, she supposed, too late into it.

Respect wasn't even considered as Aila unceremoniously tossed the diary to the Jarl. "Alva's a vampire," she said. "She's responsible for the fire."

The brutish Nord beside her was the first to speak. _What was his name again? Gaim? Garn? Oh, who cares.  
_

He started yelling. "You have some nerve barging in here like that and accusing-"

He would have said more, but Aila glowered at him dangerously and he faltered. He gulped slowly, like he was frightened.

Aila didn't bother pondering his actions as she turned back to the Jarl and waited impatiently as she flipped through the book.

"Interesting," she said eventually. "Hroggar was merely a slave to her will. Tell me, were did you find this?"

"Alva's house," Aila said simply.

"And h-how," Garn said, seemingly gaining his confidence back. "Did you get access?"

Aila looked at him blankly. "I broke in."

"You what?! My Lady, I told you we shouldn't trust her. We should send her to the-"

"Quiet, Gorm," The Jarl interrupted harshly.

_I'm still going to call him Garn._

"The information she has brought us is well worth whatever crimes she may have committed. It appears Movarth has returned."

"Is he dangerous, or something?" Aila asked. If he was anything like Laelette, he couldn't be too difficult. Just troublesome.

"All vampires are dangerous. This one just happens to be especially so. He is a threat we thought to have gotten rid of long ago, but it seems we were wrong." The Jarl's eyes narrowed at something she read in the diary. "There is just one thing I do not understand. The journal mentions you and your companion, but it refers to her as-"

Aila cut her off. "That," she said. "is none of your business."

"Show some respect, elf!" Garn demanded, but Aila stopped paying attention to him a while ago.

The Jarl eyed her suspiciously, but Aila held her ground. "Very well," she relented. "But I'm afraid, stranger, that I must ask one more thing of you."

Aila sighed, already knowing what she was going to ask. Right now, she really just wanted to go cuddle up with Kathryn at the inn, but she also couldn't rest until the one's responsible for Helgi's death were either in jail or dead. So she did something really, really stupid.

"Fine. Where's this damn cave? I'll deal with him myself."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I normally don't ask for feedback (even though I'm always thrilled to get it) but I kind of need it this time. How was the fight with Laelette? It's a lot different different from what I normally write, but I honestly can't quite tell why. I think it's because it's the first one where she isn't either absolutely livid or abjectly terrified, but I'm not sure.

Was it good, though? Could you tell who was doing what? I have a really hard time finding the right balance between using names and pronouns, and the fact that almost everyone in the story is a girl makes it a lot more difficult. Anything you have to say about it would be great, as well as any other comment about the chapter. I just can't get enough of those.

PS: Just in case anyone was confused, _Muhlaan_ isn't a shout. Aila was basically telling Kathryn to stay put, but she didn't realize she was saying it in dragon. I'll explain why and how in later chapters.


	35. 34: Movarth's Lair

**A/N: **Remember when I said last chapter was the longest to date? Well, we've got a new champion! In the blue corner we have chapter 34 with 4,584 words! Two long chapters in a row, and it didn't even take me six months to write! Maybe I really did get my act together.

Oh, and I can't thank you guys enough for all the reviews I got. I guess I was worried for nothing. Remember guys, I'm always excited to see your comments on the story and they really motivate me to write. Not only do they let me know that people are actually reading this, but that they also enjoy it. I know it sounds like I'm bribing you, but is that really such a bad thing? After all, you get more chapter's out of it, and I get the immense pleasure of knowing that my story is appreciated. It's a win-win situation.

* * *

Movarth's Lair

The cave, Aila soon discovered, could be found by its stench alone. She may not recognize a vampire by scent, but she did know the smell death and decay, and the cave reeked of it.

The cave was dark, and though she could manage, she also knew the Movarth wouldn't have any trouble seeing at all, and that made him very dangerous. _What am I doing? _Aila asked herself. _I should be in bed with Kathryn right now, but instead I'm in this dark, filth-ridden cave. _She sighed. _Let's just get this over with._

She needed a better way to find Movarth before he could detect her. If her fight with Laelette and Alva's diary was anything to go by, Aila, for whatever reason, had a scent nearly irresistible to vampires. That would make it all the more difficult to sneak up on him. The best way to deal with him would be to simply find him, stick him with an arrow and leave. The longer she fought with him, the more likely she was to get hurt, or worse.

Aila stood still for several minutes, trying to come up with a good plan. The best thing to do seemed to be to wait until morning when he would be asleep, but by then Kathryn would find out what she had done, and she would not be happy. Even if she let her fight, there was no way she would let her do it alone, but Aila couldn't constantly be worrying about Kathryn, so that option was discarded.

Unfortunately, she couldn't come up with anything other than 'be very, very careful' but that simply wasn't enough. She needed to be more than just stealthy with the vampire. She needed to be done with him before he even knew she was there. But that meant she needed to know where he was, first.

Nothing adequate coming to mind, Aila sighed irritably and decided to just follow her instincts. Which, of course, meant doing something unexpected.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she inhaled deeply. Seconds later, she breathed the word, "_Laas."_

When her eyes opened, she looked around the see several glowing lights in various places. Most were red, but a couple were light blue. They were oddly humanoid shaped, and it took Aila a moment to figure out what they were. When she finally did, however, her frustration grew tenfold.

"Fuck," she muttered, far too irritated to care about civilities. She had been mistaken. There was not just one vampire. If she was right, judging from the coloured lights, there was not only three vampires, but two humans as well.

Well, at least she knew where everyone was.

Aila headed deeper into the cave. The first light she came upon was was secluded from the others, and blue, meaning it was human. Aila came across a lantern near the edge of a small pit. The light was in the pit. Aila heard someone muttering, "Alright, let's see what goodies you have on you…"

Aila grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow, cautiously heading closer to the pit. She peered inside, and what she saw horrified and disgusted her.

A man was leaning over on of several corpses, his hand all over the body, like he was looking for something. Some had obviously been there for a while, but some looked only recently deceased. They were all pale as the snow, like all the blood had been drained from their bodies.

When Aila saw the scene, she didn't hesitate. She pulled back and loosed the arrow straight into the man's neck, killing him instantly. She watched as his light flickered out.

Unable to stand the sight any longer, Aila turned away and went further into the cave, now more determined to end these vampires' miserable lives than ever.

The next three lights were grouped together. Two red and one blue; two vampires and one human. Two of the three soon came into view as the cave opened up into a large cavern. In the middle was a long table with a throne-like chair at the end of it. A vampire was sitting in the throne, holding what looked like a wine glass to his lips. The human was standing diligently behind him, clad in full-body armour save the helmet, and a shield on his arm and a sword at his side. The other vampire was nearby, but out of sight behind a makeshift door separating part of the cave.

Aila hesitated a moment, deciding whether to take out the armoured human or the vampire first. That turned out to be a mistake though, as the vampire pulled the glass away from his lips with a bemused expression on his face.

"What is that… delightful scent?"

Aila silently cursed herself and quickly loosed an arrow at the vampire, but it was too late. The vampire was already standing and the arrow embedded itself into the chair with a _thunk. _The vampire looked at the arrow, his confused expression quickly turning to rage.

He turned to the human. "Find the one responsible for this!" He bellowed.

The human's only response was to draw his sword and head in Aila's direction.

Aila quickly and quietly moved from her current hiding spot to find a new one. She noticed that the light behind the door on the other side of the cavern was getting closer, so Aila headed towards it, sticking to the darkest shadows. She needed to take care of it before it could join in. One vampire was difficult enough to deal with, she couldn't fight two at a time.

Just as she reached to door, it swung open, and the vampire behind it started shouting.

"Master Mo-"

But Aila kicked her back into the room and followed her in, closing the door behind her.

She heard someone shout from the other side of the door. "Over there!"

_This needs to be quick, _Aila thought.

She slung her bow across her back and drew her sword, facing the snarling vampire, whose clawed hand was currently mid-swing. Aila caught her wrist and gripped it tightly so the vampire wouldn't move (which was difficult, considering her strength) and took the opportunity to thrust her sword into her neck. She pushed the vampire back and pulled her sword free, not bothering to watch her die, and turned back to see the door behind her being opened by a blue light.

Not having time to sheath it, Aila quickly stabbed her sword into the ground, leaving it upright in the dirt and grabbed her bow again, nocking an arrow just as the human stepped in. She fired it into his head and he slumped forward, dead. She was grateful he wasn't wearing a helmet.

All that was left now was the vampire in the other room, as well as the one deeper in the cave, then she would be done. She chose to forgo stealth for now, her cover was pretty much blown anyway, so she slung her bow across her back, pulled her sword up out of the ground and drew her dagger.

As she walked out of the door to the red light, she heard a slow clapping. Aila looked at the vampire in confusion.

"Impressive," he said. "Who would've thought one as small as you could manage to kill both one of my thralls and a full-fledged vampire so easily. I take it you also killed the greedy fool near the entrance?"

Aila didn't answer him. Instead, she took note that he wasn't wearing any armour, just some black robes and a sword strapped to his side. She wondered if he knew how to use it. She doubted she could take him without shouting, but she was afraid that if she did, the other vampire would come and running. She didn't know if she could fight two vampires at the same time.

The vampire (who Aila was beginning to believe was Movarth, if his haughty attitude was anything to go by) chuckled darkly. "I thought so. Well, no matter. I can always make more. Besides, your scent is positively…" he breathed in, as if to prove his point. "Captivating. I daresay in all my long years I've never come across a scent so alluring."

What else? She could use a good fire, but the only flames were the little candles scattered across the table, they wouldn't be of any use to her. Movarth's words barely reached her as she tried to think up a way to kill him quickly, but she did catch the last few words.

"... not every day a feast walks willingly into my home after all, so I can make an exception." He raised his hand then, and it began to glow blood red.

Aila's body suddenly erupted in pain. She doubled over and resisted the urge to scream. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and her insides writhed, like she had swallowed acid. Now Aila understood why he wasn't wearing armour. Mages rarely ever wore armour. She had no idea what spell this was, though.

Aila straightened her body and, doing her very best to ignore the pain, rushed at the vampire. She slashed at his hand and he pulled away, but it had the effect of ending the spell. The pain faded away, but there was a soreness that lingered.

Movarth drew his sword and pointed it at her. "I would lay down your sword if I were you, little bird. It would be such a shame to mar such beautiful skin."

Aila let out a humourless laugh. "And how," she asked. "Do you plan on taking my blood without marring my skin?

Movarth gave her a sick grin. "Ah, and I was beginning to think you were mute. But don't you worry your pretty little head over it. I have my ways."

"I'll make sure you won't get the chance to use them," Aila said.

She swung at him with her sword and when he parried the attack, she followed up with her dagger and he dodged out of the way.

"Too slow, little bird," Movarth taunted. "I know there's more to you than that. It takes more than a quiet hand and surprise on your side to get as far as you have."

The way he spoke sickened her, but she didn't bother with a retort. He was right though, he was too fast. She didn't think she could beat him without Shouting. Oh, well. If it comes to that, there was nothing she could do about it.

Movarth slashed at her and Aila just barely had time to block it. "That reminds me," Movarth continued. He sure seemed to like the sound of his own voice. "How did you come across this place? I can't imagine you just stumbled in."

Aila had to admit, for a vampire trying to kill her, he was rather polite. "You should tell Alva to be more careful with what she puts in that diary of hers. They're not a private as she seems to think." She thrust her dagger forward, but Movarth avoided the blade and twisted his sword around and cut Aila in the forearm. Aila grunted and jumped back. She looked at the now bleeding wound. It hurt, obviously, but it wasn't too bad. But, there went any chance of keeping this from Kathryn.

She turned back to Movarth, who was shaking his head with a frown on his face. "Oh, Alva," he tsked. "Such as disappointment. She had so much potential, but in the end she was nothing more that a romantic fool. Still, she has her uses. Quite adept under the covers."

Aila's face scrunched at the comment, and she didn't bother dignifying it with a response. Instead, she took a deep breath.

_"SU!"_

The thunderous force of her Shout reverberated off the cavern walls, making it seem even louder than usual. Movarth growled in surprise and his free hand went up to his ear to try and vainly block out the sound. Aila took the opportunity to rush forward and slice his throat, or at least try to. He moved at the last second and she got him in the shoulder.

It seemed to anger him, however, as he hissed at her and shoved his hand forward. It began to glow once more with that blood red aura and pain once again coursed through her body. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Aila noticed that as she began to felt weaker, the wound that she had just inflicted on Movarth began to heal. Inwardly, that pissed her off, but she didn't have time to think about it for as soon as he started the spell she thrust her dagger forward and stabbed him through the hand. The spell ended abruptly as Movarth yanked his hand back, snarling ferociously. Aila took a moment to look around, and she saw that the red light deeper in the cave was moving closer. Great. She had to finish this quickly.

Aila's moment of thought cost her, though. Movarth, evidently not used to being hurt, punched her in the stomach with such inhuman strength that Aila was literally sent flying across the the room and crashed into the cavern wall before falling to the ground. She groaned as she struggled to get up. She expected that kind of strength from a dragon, not a vampire. Maybe the strength came with age. All Aila was aware of was that it hurt. She needed to be more careful.

But it seemed luck was not on her side tonight, for as she looked up, she saw something on the wall. Something that began to shine brightly and fill her vision. "No! Not now!" Aila shouted, knowing it wouldn't make any difference. She couldn't even stand, just wallow blind and helpless.

She felt a presence over her and knew it was Movarth. Panicked, she forced herself to her feet, stumbling a bit, and faced what she knew was there but couldn't see. She held her sword out in front of him in a vain hope of deterring him.

"What's wrong, little bird?" Aila heard. "Did I hit you too hard? My apologies, I let my temper get away from me."

"Quiet!" Aila growled,, still struggling to see his dim figure behind the word. But as she began to recognize the word and what it meant, she couldn't help but grin. She never thought he had a sense of humour.

Then she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and she cried out.

"What are you grinning at?" Movarth demanded angrily.

Aila just smiled again despite the intense pain she was in. "Nothing. Just glad I finally have a way to kill you easily."

The pain in her shoulder grew suddenly, but she managed to keep herself from crying out again.

"Are you mocking me? I've already won."

"You haven't won anything. As soon as I get my vision back I'm going to kill you and that bitch heading this way."

She could barely make out Movarth's form turning away from her and toward some other part of the cave. "Alva? How did you know she was…"

Aila hadn't actually known the other vampire was Alva, she just assumed whoever it was, was a bitch. Guess she was right.

Another voice reached her ears then. "My love, what's going on…" A pause. "You!"

"You know her?" Movarth asked, sounding confused.

"N-no, I just-"

Their following argument allowed Aila's vision to clear up enough to see their silhouettes. _Good enough, _she thought. She interrupted them by kicking Movarth away from her, and pulled herself free of the sword in her shoulder. Without hesitating, she inhaled deeply and faced the closest silhouette.

_"YOL!"_

The cavern flashed brightly for a moment, followed by a pain-filled scream. She could only just see Movarth, on the floor, enveloped in flames. Alva went up to him, screaming his name and trying to put the fire out. Aila took a few moments for her vision to clear up further while they were distracted. When she could see enough to make out individual body parts, she walked up to the flailing vampire. Alva saw her approach and tried to stop her.

She jumped at her, claws extended. "Damn you!" She shouted.

Aila side-stepped and pushed her away. She stumbled, and Aila returned her attention to Movarth. She reached him and placed her foot over his chest to still him. Then she raised her sword and plunged it into his heart.

"No!" Alva screamed behind her, but it was too late. Movarth's flailing stopped, and he was dead.

Aila pulled her sword free and took a step back as a sudden wave of exhaustion came over her. She gripped her bleeding shoulder, idly wondering if it was as bad as it felt. Her limbs felt like lead, her arm was stinging, her stomach was aching, and her head was pounding.

She suddenly remembered Alva and whirled around, but Alva was on her knees, too distraught to even move. Aila breathed, looking at her wounded shoulder. It was bleeding a lot. The blood was soaking through her armour. That wasn't good. She needed to have it examined.

She looked again at Alva, contemplating. She seemed like she was sobbing, but no tears were coming out. Can vampires even cry?

Eventually Aila spoke up. "I'm almost tempted to let you go."

Her voice startled Alva out of her despair, and she looked at her with a glint of hope in her red eyes, but it was gone again when Aila grabbed her bow.

"But then I remember that you're the one responsible for Helgi's death and…" her grip on her bow tightened unconsciously. "And I just can't forgive that." She nocked an arrow and aimed for Alva. "So just… don't move and it won't hurt."

Aila saw the look of fear flash across her face, but for whatever reason she stayed still and just shut her eyes tightly. That almost made Aila feel worse. It would have been easier it she fought back. She pulled back on the arrow slowly, ignoring the pain it caused her shoulder, and aimed carefully. She released the arrow with a _thwack _and Alva fell backwards with and arrow in her head.

Aila sighed deeply and put her bow back. She took one last look around the cave to see if she missed anything … anyone. Seeing nothing, she wasted no more time in this gods forsaken cave and made her way out, doing her best to ignore both the corpses, and the fact that she made them.

But as she neared the cave's entrance, one more light suddenly appeared in front of her. This one wasn't blue or red, it was purple. Its sudden appearance startled Aila, and it took her a moment to look past the light to see who it was.

"Helgi!" Aila shouted, running to the ghost girl and kneeling down in front of her.

Helgi did something unexpected then. She jumped forward and wrapped her little arms around Aila. "Thank you, Aila," she whispered.

Aila was surprised, but she gladly hugged her back. "F-for what?" Aila asked, though she had an idea.

"For making mommy happy. But she's calling me now. I have to go. I'm so tired. Say goodbye to Kathryn for me," Helgi said as she began to fade away again.

"I-I will," Aila choked out. She hugged Helgi tighter, as if it would make her stay. "Goodbye, Helgi."

"Goodbye, Aila," was the last thing she said before she was gone forever.

Aila was still a while longer as she struggled to get her emotions under control. She wasn't sure when she got so attached to Helgi, but she had, and it was hard to let go.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stood at last and exited the cave.

The trek back to Morthal wasn't long, but with her shoulder and arm bleeding out, Aila jogged back, even if the effort made her want to pass out. As she neared the city, several lights began to pop up, and Aila realized her Shout was still active. _Huh… How do I turn this thing off? _She figured it would fade away, like the others, but if that was the case it would've done so by now.

It was interesting, though, seeing all the little lights shuffle about their business. However, most were still, probably because they were sleeping.

Aila approached the Longhouse, glad to see shapes still moving inside. She swung open the doors and walked in. She felt several pairs of eyes on her dirty and bloodied figure as she walked up to the Jarl. The first one to break the silence was, unfortunately, Garn. Gorm. Whatever.

He burst out laughing. "What, don't tell me the bloodsucker was too much for a little elf like you! He bloodies you up a bit and you come running back-" Then he noticed Aila's hard glare and shut up quick. Unfortunately, he had already managed to piss Aila off.

"If you say one more word, I'll cut out your tongue," she threatened.

He only gulped and nodded.

Aila sighed irritably and turned to the Jarl, who had finally decided to speak up.

"You've returned battered and bloody, but with good news, I hope?"

"Yes," Aila said. "Movarth is dead. As is Alva, and two other vampires hiding out with them. Oh, and their thralls."

Garn turned so pale at her words, she might have thought he was a vampire himself if not for his blue light. It was actually rather amusing to see a big and burly Nord like him glow like a fairy. She felt her lips twitch at that, but she forced herself not to smile, knowing they would take it the wrong way.

The Jarl's eyes widened at the information. "There were more of them?"

"Yes. They weren't any trouble, though. Movarth was the one that gave me these." She gestured to her wounds.

"What do you mean?"

Aila raised an eyebrow, wondering what it was about her explanation that was confusing. She pointed to her arm. "This," she said. "Was for being too slow." She lifted the armour around her torso a bit to show the blackening bruise on her stomach. "This was for getting distracted." She lowered her armour back into place and pointed to her shoulder. "And this…" She paused. "Well, this one wasn't really my fault."

The Jarl shook her head. "No, I meant… I just find it hard to believe you managed to singlehandedly eliminate a coven of vampire with minimal trouble. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you're not dead."

Aila just shrugged, and nearly winced at the pain it caused her shoulder. "I don't really care what you think," Aila told the Jarl honestly. "Go and check, if you don't believe me. Either way, they're dead. Now if you'll excuse me, unless you'd like me to continue bleeding all over your floor, I need to go fetch some bandages."

"Yes, of course. My apologies. I'll have someone bring some right away. But first, you've done Morthal an invaluable service. Ask of me your reward, and I shall grant it."

"Reward?" Honestly, Aila hadn't even considered that she would be rewarded. She just wanted to avenge Helgi.

"Yes, a reward. Anything you desire, I shall give you."

"Anything?"

"Within reason, of course."

Aila considered for a moment. What did she want? Money? She made enough of that with the Guild. She didn't need a new weapon, hers worked fine. She could think of anything practical she wanted, but when she looked down at herself and saw her body covered in dirt and blood, she knew exactly what to ask for.

"I want a bath."

The Jarl gave her an odd look. "Excuse me?"

"I said I want a bath."

"No, I heard, it's just… You don't want anything-"

"Look, you asked me what I wanted, and I'm telling you I want a bath. If you can't give me that, I'll be on my way."

The Jarl looked at her incredulously. "As you wish, then." She turned to a nearby servant girl. "Take her to my private chambers. She can bathe there."

The girl nodded, "Yes, Milady," and went up to Aila. "If you'll follow me, please."

And about an hour later, Aila was soaking luxuriously in a tub of steaming water. The servant girl, whose name Aila learned was Rae, had already tended to her wounds. She poured healing potion on the bandages and wrapped them around her wounds. It was rather awkward for Aila, since she had to take off her armour so Rae could get to her shoulder, but she patched her up quickly and left her to bathe in peace.

Aila sighed and leaned back in the tub, savouring the heat. Normally she needed Kathryn to bathe with this sort of warmth. Of course this bath would've been infinitely better with Kathryn. Then again, if Kathryn was here, Aila might die of heat stroke.

Aila's eyes wandered and she let herself get distracted by all the lights in the city. She still hadn't figured out how to turn it off, but she kind of liked it. She only ever saw a few people at a time in a city, but now she could see everyone at once, and it made her think of just how full of life the world was. Everyone had their own place in the world, their own story.

Aila was pulled out of her musings when she noticed a light that stood out from the rest. It wasn't blue like the others, but not red either, or even purple. It was gold. Aila sat up straighter to get a better look. It was on its side, so whoever it was, was probably sleeping. Or trying to at least, they seemed to be shifting around and fidgeting a lot, sort of like Kathryn did on the few occasions she slept.

_Wait… is that Kathryn? _If humans were blue, vampires were red, and ghosts were purple, would werewolves be gold?

Eager to know, Aila hurried up and finished her bath. When she was done, she dressed herself and left the Longhouse, thanking the Jarl on the way out. She headed in the direction of the golden light, which turned out to be the inn. She stepped inside and saw that the light was inside her and Kathryn's room. It _was _her.

Aila approached and slowly pulled the door open. Kathryn was sleeping restlessly in the bed. Aila shut the door and went to sit down on the edge of the bed next to her. She admired her glowing figure as she tossed and turned, mumbling something she couldn't understand. She smiled when she heard her name. Deciding to join her, Aila stripped out of all her armour and underclothes and laid down next to Kathryn, who almost immediately turned and wrapped an arm around her, mumbling some more.

"Don't trust the unicorn," is what is sounded like.

Aila smiled in amusement. "And why not, love?" She whispered back.

More mumbling, and all Aila caught was, "Stole my cheese."

Aila giggled, letting herself sink into Kathryn's arms. "How despicable."

"Hmmmm…"

Aila closed her eyes and felt sleep begin to creep up on her. She yawned tiredly, glad to finally be back with Kathryn and trying not to think about the scolding she would get in the morning.


End file.
